Barack Obama-Wisconsin Organization

Barack Obama-Organization, Wisconsin
revised February 22, 2009

OBAMA FOR AMERICA
Offices:
Madison -123 E. Main Street #300   608-255-2008
Madison - 437 W. Gilman Street   608-294-6775
Milwaukee - 633 S. Hawley Road   414-943-2008
La Crosse - 127 S. Sixth Street
Stevens Point - on Main Street at Strongs Avenue   ...open Feb. 9, 2008

State Director Craig Schirmer

GOTV director on Obama's South Carolina primary campaign, and helped oversee and execute strategies in the other three early states (IA, NH, NV). Los Angeles-based political consultant. Did early work on California State Treasurer Phil Angelides' campaign for governor. Campaign manager on Erskine Bowles' 2002 race for U.S. Senate in North Carolina (open Helms seat; lost to Elizabeth Dole). Campaign manager on Brian Schweitzer's 2000 race for U.S. Senate in Montana (lost to Conrad Burns). Statewide field director on Vice President Al Gore's New Hampshire primary campaign, 1999-2000. State director on South Carolina Democrats' Coordinated Campaign in 1998. Directed statewide field and grassroots operations for Clinton/Gore '96 in Florida. Political aide to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in Washington and Boston. Graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Deputy Political Director

Nickolas Meyer

Started as a field organizer in Dubuque on the Iowa caucus campaign, and later served as deputy political director on the Wisconsin primary campaign. Field organizer on the Duckworth for Congress campaign, 2006. Campus organizer for WISPIRG. B.S. in communications studies from Northwestern University, 2005.

Regional Field Directors include
Southeast - Hy Safran

Madison - Krishnan Subrahmanian - Border states director on the Nevada Caucus campaign. Teach for America Corps in South Dakota. Graduate of Harvard University, 2003.

Targeting Director

Nathaniel Snyder

Snyder started with the Obama campaign in July 2007 as the at-large organizing director in Las Vegas, NV, then served as deputy state director in Connecticut. In 2002 he organized the Jim River Valley for U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) during his highly contested re-election campaign.

Communications Director
Dan Leistikow

Communications director on John Edwards 2007-08 Iowa caucus campaign. Communications director to Gov. Jim Doyle (D-WI) starting in 2004, and also worked on Doyle's 2006 re-election campaign; joined Doyle's staff in Feb. 2003 as press secretary. Communications director for Missouri Senator Jean Carnahan’s 2002 campaign. Deputy communications director for Carnahan's Senate office in Washington, D.C., 2001. Communications director for the Washington State Coordinated Campaign in 2000. Chief speechwriter to Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams from Feb. 1999 to June 2000. He also served in the offices of Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell and Hawaii Congressman Neil Abercrombie. 1998 graduate of Georgetown University.

Senior Advisor

Tim Mahone

Director of Gov. Jim Doyle's Southeast Office (Milwaukee). Political director for Gov. Doyle’s re-election campaign in 2006. Graduate of Marquette University. Native of Kenosha.

Endorsements
Gov. Jim Doyle (announced Jan. 5, 2008)

Congressman Dave Obey (WI-7) (announced Feb. 8, 2008; previously backed John Edwards)
Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-4) (reported by The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on April 22, 2007)

(announced Feb. 7, 2008)
State Senator Bob Jauch – Poplar
State Representative Spencer Black – Madison
State Representative Pedro Colon – Milwaukee
State Representative Jason Fields – Milwaukee State Representative Tamara Grigsby – Milwaukee
State Representative Steve Hilgenberg – Dodgeville
State Representative Gordon Hintz – Oshkosh
State Senator Bob Jauch – Northwest Wisconsin
State Representative Cory Mason – Racine
State Representative Joseph Parisi – Madison
State Representative Donna Seidel – Wausau
State Representative Mike Sheridan – Janesville
State Representative Christine Sinicki – Milwaukee
State Representative Tony Staskunas – South Milwaukee
State Representative Barbara Toles – Milwaukee
State Representative Annette “Polly” Williams – Milwaukee
State Representative Josh Zepnick – Milwaukee
announced Feb. 15, 2008
State Representative Gary Sherman – Port Wing

Mayor Mayor Dave Cieslewicz of Madison (announced Feb. 12, 2008; previously backed John Edwards)
Mayor Gary Becker of Racine, Mayor Larry Nelson of Waukesha, Mayor John Antaramian, and Mayor Michael Neitzke of Greenfield (announced Feb. 8, 2008)
Mayor Tom Barrett of Milwaukee (announced April 16, 2007)

"superdelegate” Stan Gruszynski (announced Feb. 14, 2008)
Represented the 71st District (Stevens Point) in the state Assembly from 1984-94.

SEIU Wisconsin State Council - endorsed Obama on Oct. 26, 2007, citing his "commitment to expanding access to affordable health care and to protecting workers' rights." (State Council President is Dian Palmer; the union has 15,000-plus members).

and newspaper endorsements
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (02/17/08)

post-primary
Awais Khaleel - graduating senior at University of Wisconsin-Madison; superdelegate by virtue of position as vice president of College Democrats of America (announced May 14, 2008)
State Senator Lena Taylor - superdelegate (announced May 14, 2008)