Phil Cox
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| Phil Cox | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Organization: | 50-State |
| Role: | Founding partner |
| Location: | McLean, Va. |
| Affiliation: | Republican |
| Education: | •University of Virginia |
| Website: | Official website |
Phil Cox is a founding partner of 50-State, a Washington, D.C.-based political consulting firm that works with clients at the state government level.
Career
Early career
Phil Cox graduated from the University of Virginia, and he spent his early career working on races throughout that state. He started in 1997, working as a precinct captain for former member of the Virginia House of Delegates Paul Harris (R), the first black Republican elected to that office since 1891.[1][2]
Cox managed Joe Barta's attempt to unseat Representative Rick Boucher (D) from Virginia's 9th Congressional District in 1998, but was unsuccessful. In 2001, he worked as campaign manager for former Virginia Lieutenant Governor John Hager's gubernatorial campaign.[2][3]
In 2006, Cox worked as "second in command" at Americans for Prosperity, according to the Boston Globe. The organization is a 501(c)(4) political advocacy group that aims to "mobilize citizens to advocate for policies that cut red tape and increase opportunity, put the brakes on government overspending, and get the economy working for hard workers — not special interests."[4][5]
Bob McDonnell 2009 gubernatorial campaign
In 2009, Cox worked as campaign manager for former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R). The two had previously worked together on McDonnell's 1999 race for Virginia legislature and then on McDonnell's race for Virginia Attorney General.[6] In 2011, McDonnell commented on Cox's role and what he brought to the campaign, telling Politico, "Having served as my campaign manager, transition director, and senior political adviser during my first year as governor, Phil knows how to run highly effective campaigns. ... He is an excellent manager who also has a keen understanding of how important good policy is to good governance. Phil has his finger on the political pulse both in Virginia and nationally."[7]
Republican Governors Association
After McDonnell won the election, Cox led his transition team before becoming a political consultant for the Republican Governors Association (RGA). In 2011, he became the executive director of the RGA while remaining a political advisor for McDonnell.[2][7] In 2012, while he worked for the RGA, Politicp named Cox among "50 Politicos to Watch." The article noted that as executive director of the RGA, Cox "spends about two-thirds of his time raising money and the remaining third on the other nuts and bolts of winning elections."[8]
Cox remained executive director of the RGA through 2014. After the 2014 election, in which the Republican Party "held onto competitive seats in Wisconsin, Florida, and Maine, while winning new seats in states like Massachusetts, Maryland, and Illinois," Cox became "perhaps the most sought-after adviser in a crowded Republican field of 2016 presidential candidates." Ed Gillespie said, "If I were advising a Republican presidential candidate right now, the first thing I would say is, ‘Call Phil Cox and see if you can get him on board.’"[4]
50 State
Cox and Colm O'Comartun, former executive director of the Democratic Governors Association, created 50-State LLC in December 2014. 50-State is a consulting firm that aims to provide "issue advocacy, public relations, and public affairs strategies, as well as high-level political intelligence, to those who do business with, or are regulated by, state government."[9][10]
Chris Christie's presidential campaign, 2016
Cox launched a super PAC for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) in March 2015. He said he created the America Leads Super PAC "because it’s time for America to lead again, and I believe Governor Christie is exactly the kind of strong leader we need at this critical point in our nation’s history."[11]
Christie and Cox had previously worked together when Cox was the executive director of the RGA and Christie was the group's chair. In November 2014, Christie told the Boston Globe, "He’s [Cox] very calm. This is not a guy who allows the stress of particular situations to get to him, He has a very calm demeanor and in very difficult situations he is one of the voices of reason. He’s intense, but it never shows."[4]
Top influencers by state
Influencers in American politics are power players who help get candidates elected, put through policy proposals, cause ideological changes, and affect popular perceptions. They can take on many forms: politicians, lobbyists, advisors, donors, corporations, industry groups, labor unions, single-issue organizations, nonprofits, to name a few.
In 2015, Ballotpedia identified Phil Cox as a top influencer by state. We identified top influencers across the country through several means, including the following:
- Local knowledge of our professional staff
- Surveys of activists, thought leaders and journalists from across the country and political spectrum
- Outreach to political journalists in each state who helped refine our lists
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Phil Cox'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 50-State, "Who We Are," accessed November 17, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Roll Call, "‘Mr. Hustle’ Takes Virginia Record to National Stage," February 8, 2011
- ↑ House of Representatives, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1998," January 3, 1999
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Boston Globe, "Mass. native Phil Cox figures to be a force for the GOP," November 14, 2014
- ↑ Americans for Prosperity, "About Americans for Prosperity," accessed November 17, 2015
- ↑ OZY, "Phil Cox: The GOP Operative on the Move," Augut 18,2 015
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Politico, "Cox named RGA executive director," January 3, 2011
- ↑ Politico, "Political operatives," July 12, 2012
- ↑ Business Insider, "A Pair Of Top Political Consultants Say They've Found A Way To Help Businesses Break Through Washington Gridlock," January 13, 2015
- ↑ 50-State, "Our Mission," accessed November 17, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Christie allies launch super PAC," March 12, 2015
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