Today’s show is going to be a little different. We have on Austin Cook, who is a student at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is studying political science and communications and wants to work in politics as a career. Austin reached out through a mutual friend about how to get her start in a political career, so I invited her on today to guest host and ask some questions from a panel of very astute political professionals. 

Today’s panel features: 

Olivia Bergen, who has worked and managed numerous campaigns, particularly in New Hampshire. She is now living in Minnesota and managing the Aleta Borrud campaign for State Senate which is sure to be a top-tier state race here in Minnesota. 

Andrew Adamski is previous guest of the podcast a managing partner of New Guard Strategies, a full service political consulting firm. He has worked all over the United States at all levels of campaign operations and is currently living in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Michael Rocket Richards is a veteran of dozens of campaigns at all levels. He is a little bit of an Illinois political legend and well known to most Democratic insiders in the state. He runs a consulting firm, Rocket Consulting while also working full time for Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Mike Cabonargi. Rocket lives on the north-side of Chicago with his wife and two baby boys. Full disclosure, Rocket was also my best man at my wedding.

Matt Duco graduated from the University of Illinois where he was active with the College Democrats and then went on to work for the Democratic Party of Illinois for a number of years before deciding to pursue a career in law. While in law school at Northern Illinois University, he volunteered with the Obama 2008 campaign and Bill Foster’s first campaign for Congress as well as his re-election. Since graduating law school and moving into private practice, Matt has primarily worked as a volunteer on campaigns and political organization but his main focus has been on election protection. He also ran for office himself in 2016, narrowly losing his election for County Recorder. Matt has spent most of his life in Illinois and is now living in Brooklyn, New York. 

Brian McDonagh is a Labour Party Counselor in Fingal County, Ireland. In addition to being an elected official he also works in politics in his day job as a Parliamentary Assistant to Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD and was previously a regional organizer for the Irish Labour Party.

Labour Party: https://labour.ie

Cllr Brian McDonagh: https://labour.ie/people/brianmcdonagh

Brian’s Twitter: @brianmcdonagh

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD: https://labour.ie/people/aodhanoriordain