Jess O’Connell is a partner at NEWCO Strategies. For nearly twenty years, Jess O’Connell has worked to advance progressive policies and to elect Democrats all over the country. She’s held senior positions with Hillary Clinton, EMILY’s List, Center the American Progress, the US Global Leadership Coalition, ONE, and the Children’s Defense Fund. Most recently, as founder and CEO of JOC Strategy Group, Jess worked with progressive leaders and organizations on a wide range of leadership and strategic advising.

In 2017, Jess served as the CEO at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) where she oversaw an historic reorganization and created a new mission and purpose for an institution that traditionally focused on one election every four years. She introduced a back to basics strategy – she refocused the party on national organizing by making an unprecedented investment in state parties and instituting an innovative $10 million competitive grant program. During her tenure the team doubled, the DNC raised $67 million and Democrats won elections across the country, including 36 state legislative flips from red-to-blue and record-breaking statewide victories in New Jersey, Virginia and Alabama. In 2018, she crafted and launched the national I WILL VOTE campaign to help Democrats win with the largest midterm margin since Watergate. Jess served as spokeswoman for the DNC with CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR and more.

Jess joined the DNC from EMILY’s List, the largest political organization and resource for women in the United States, where she was the Executive Director. She helped lead EMILY’s List to historic increases in membership and fundraising from 3M members to over 5M and $90M raised in 2016. She oversaw the largest independent expenditure program in the organization’s history at that time.

Jess helped elect the most diverse Congress in history at that time - quadrupling the number of women of color elected to the United States Senate and over half of the new Democratic women elected to the House were women of color. At the state & local level, she built programs to elect 269 women. She traveled to nearly 20 states speaking on behalf of candidates. During this time, with the support of EMILY’s List, Hillary Clinton made history as the first woman nominated for President from either party. In response to the 2016 election, Jess helped launch Run to Win, a national campaign that recruited over 40,000 women to run for office.

There is a good argument for the slow and steady approach. You can be viral one day, and forgotten the next.

A slow, but thorough, introduction to the American people will hopefully continue to get positive responses.

Iowa seems to be responding well. Nationally, people have had just a nibble. Iowa has been subjected to some intense face-to-face time with Pete, and they appear to like what they are seeing. They are also incredibly independent. How much of an effect would a win in Iowa have? All of a sudden he would be getting the national attention he deserves.

Yes, he is young, but so was JFK (43). No, I am not saying he is JFK, but given his intelligence, his well thought out responses to everyday realities, and his overall incredible sense of communication, HE COULD BE! His resume is killer. (Remember, no one can know EVERYTHING, (except turdface, of course), but the key is to TRULY surround yourself with the best people, who know how to get things done. The president is the "head" that gives the rest of us focus and purpose. I think Pete can do that blindfolded, with hands tied behind his back, while hopping on one foot... )

He COULD be the change we democrats want and need.

Fuck the republicans. Their opinions are beyond irrelevant. They have burned the bridge, filled the moat with deadly crocodiles, and cast THEMSELVES off of the island. Good riddance to the personification of the ugly American.

Pete's supporters will continue to donate as long as we deem him viable.

As we head to the next level, with Pete bringing in more professionals to achieve the goal desired, we need to remember the Hillary WON the election by almost 3,000,000 votes. turdface was installed in the people's White House thanks to gerrymandered districts in three states, and some extremely questionable influences by Pooties poots. (As an aside, wasn't gerrymandering supposed to be Obama's and Holder's object of concentration after the election? What is up with that? It seems like the courts are maybe okay with gerrymandering... All of a sudden it is just fine for STATES to allow district voter discrimination and suppression, 'cause, you know, it's STATES RIGHTS!!! Just askin' )

turdface is COUNTING on Putin... He is now saying he could lose the popular vote by 5,000,000 and still win the Electoral College. And the courts are just fine with that?

Give me a fuckin' break...



Obviously I very easily get sidetracked...

Anyway, give 'em hell, Pete!

edited to add "one" in 4th paragraph