Tad Devine
Encyclopedia
Thomas A. "Tad" Devine is an American
political consultant. Devine was a senior adviser in Al Gore's 2000 and John Kerry's 2004 Presidential campaigns. He has worked on ten winning campaigns for President and Prime Minister around the world and 17 winning U.S. Senate races. Devine is currently the president of Devine Mulvey, a Washington D.C.-based media consulting firm. In October 2010, he was recognized as one of "the nation's most respected media consultants" by USA Today.
. He received his A.B. in American History from Brown University
, and his J.D. from Suffolk University School of Law. He is a member of the Bar in Rhode Island and the District of Columbia.
, and from 1985 - 87 he worked as an Associate Attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of the law firm of Winston & Strawn. From 1989-90, he served as a Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island
, Joseph R. Paolino Jr.
's reelection campaign as a delegate tracker. He went on to serve as Deputy Director of Delegate Selection in the nomination campaign of former Vice President Walter Mondale
and Executive Assistant to the Campaign Manager in the 1984 general election.
. In 1992, Devine served as a member of the Democratic Party Rules Committee and was a consultant to CBS News throughout the Democratic National Convention
in New York. As lead negotiator for Governor Dukakis' campaign at the 1988 Rules Committee, Devine was involved in the Democratic party's 1988 reform that eliminated winner take all methods of delegate selection and established proportional representation as the exclusive system of delegate allocation in the Democratic Party.
of Texas. In 1992, Devine served as Campaign Manager for Senator Bob Kerrey
's campaign for President.
, at ease. Devine, unlike other Gore advisers, suggested taking on Bradley by questioning his credentials as a Democrat. He also used his extensive knowledge of the Democratic party rules to help ensure Gore's victory in the primary by lobbying members of the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee to disallow any primaries in the five weeks between New Hampshire and Super Tuesday
. His aim was to minimize Bradley's political momentum should he win the New Hampshire primary and maximize the effect a New Hampshire loss would have. Devine was also willing to put himself in the role of the contrarian, occasionally questioning Gore's recommendations and telling him when his opinion differed.
's campaign for President in both the primary and the general election. His elevation to a senior strategic role coincided with Senator Kerry's turn around in late 2003, and Devine remained in a senior role throughout the remainder of the campaign. He frequently represented the campaign on national television programs such as Meet the Press
, C-SPAN, Face the Nation
and other broadcasts.
in 2005, and several campaigns of senators, including Sheldon Whitehouse
(RI), Bill Nelson
(FL), Bernie Sanders
(VT), John Kerry (MA) and the DSCC
independent expenditure for the winning senate races of Claire McCaskill
(MS) and Robert Menendez
(NJ), as well as numerous statewide elections. Devine's work as a strategist and media consultant has been recognized by leading media and political consulting organizations. Devine has produced award-winning television advertising for Sen. Edward Kennedy
(MA), Sen. John Edwards
(NC), and Gov. Parris Glendening
(MD).
Internationally, Devine has worked as a strategist and media consultant for the winning campaigns of Colombian President Andres Pastrana in 1998, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak
in 1999, Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo
in 2001, Bolivian President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada
in 2002, Irish Taoiseach
Bertie Ahern
in 1997, 2002 and 2007, Honduran President Mel Zelaya in 2005, and Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich and the Party of Regions
in 2006. Devine worked again with Yanukovich in 2009 and 2010 for his successful Presidential bid. He served as a strategist and media consultant for Ashraf Ghani
's 2009 presidential campaign in Afghanistan.
In 2007, Devine joined with Julian Mulvey to form Devine Mulvey, a US and international political consulting firm offering strategic and communications advice to clients across the globe. Leading political organizations have recognized their work with several awards including best Internet ad in 2008 and best statewide ad in 2009. Devine Mulvey received four Reed Awards in 2010 from Campaign and Elections Politics magazine, including the award for Best Statewide Ad, and seven 2010 Pollie awards from the American Association of Political Consultants.
won the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination in the book Campaigning for President (Routledge 2009) He also frequently lectures in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere. He has lectured at Harvard University
's Kennedy School of Government on numerous occasions and is a regular lecturer at the American University's Washington Internship Program and for the "Politics and Journalism Semester" program at the Washington Center for Politics & Journalism. He participates frequently in public fora, such as 2009's Bipartisan Policy Center's Inaugural Political Summit at Tulane University
, entitled "Taking the Poison Out of Partisanship."
, Meet the Press, Face the Nation, FOX News and every major American network, as well as the BBC and other foreign media outlets. Devine guested on the Colbert Report twice, first on February 6, 2008 and later on May 29, 2008, to lend his expertise on superdelegates. Devine appears in the 2005 Rachel Boynton documentary "Our Brand Is Crisis", which follows American political consultants including James Carville
, Stan Greenberg
, Jeremy Rosner, and Devine during the 2002 Bolivian presidential campaign.
with his wife Ellen and their three children and two dogs.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political consultant. Devine was a senior adviser in Al Gore's 2000 and John Kerry's 2004 Presidential campaigns. He has worked on ten winning campaigns for President and Prime Minister around the world and 17 winning U.S. Senate races. Devine is currently the president of Devine Mulvey, a Washington D.C.-based media consulting firm. In October 2010, he was recognized as one of "the nation's most respected media consultants" by USA Today.
Early life and education
Devine was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1955. He grew up in South Providence in a public housing project and inner city tenement. Devine attended the La Salle AcademyLa Salle Academy, Providence
La Salle Academy is an independent, co-educational Roman Catholic college preparatory day school located in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island...
. He received his A.B. in American History from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, and his J.D. from Suffolk University School of Law. He is a member of the Bar in Rhode Island and the District of Columbia.
Early career
From 1982-83 Devine served as a law clerk to the Rhode Island Superior CourtRhode Island Superior Court
The Rhode Island Superior Court is the state trial court of general jurisdiction in Rhode Island.-Jurisdiction:It has original jurisdiction in all felony proceedings, civil matters with an amount in controversy in excess of $10,000, and all matters of equity...
, and from 1985 - 87 he worked as an Associate Attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of the law firm of Winston & Strawn. From 1989-90, he served as a Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, Joseph R. Paolino Jr.
Democratic Party rules and delegate selection
Devine is considered one of the leading experts on the Democratic Party's presidential nominating process and general election strategy. In 1980, he worked on President Jimmy CarterJimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
's reelection campaign as a delegate tracker. He went on to serve as Deputy Director of Delegate Selection in the nomination campaign of former Vice President Walter Mondale
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
and Executive Assistant to the Campaign Manager in the 1984 general election.
Michael Dukakis campaign
From 1987-88, he served as Director of Delegate Selection and Field Operations in the nomination campaign of Governor Michael DukakisMichael Dukakis
Michael Stanley Dukakis served as the 65th and 67th Governor of Massachusetts from 1975–1979 and from 1983–1991, and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988. He was born to Greek immigrants in Brookline, Massachusetts, also the birthplace of John F. Kennedy, and was the longest serving...
. In 1992, Devine served as a member of the Democratic Party Rules Committee and was a consultant to CBS News throughout the Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
in New York. As lead negotiator for Governor Dukakis' campaign at the 1988 Rules Committee, Devine was involved in the Democratic party's 1988 reform that eliminated winner take all methods of delegate selection and established proportional representation as the exclusive system of delegate allocation in the Democratic Party.
Campaign management
In the general election of 1988, Devine got his start managing national campaigns when he served as Campaign Manager for the Vice Presidential nominee, Senator Lloyd BentsenLloyd Bentsen
Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Jr. was a four-term United States senator from Texas and the Democratic Party nominee for Vice President in 1988 on the Michael Dukakis ticket. He also served in the House of Representatives from 1949 to 1955. In his later political life, he was Chairman of the Senate...
of Texas. In 1992, Devine served as Campaign Manager for Senator Bob Kerrey
Bob Kerrey
Joseph Robert "Bob" Kerrey was the 35th Governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987 and a U.S. Senator from Nebraska . Having served in the Vietnam War, earning the Medal of Honor for his actions, he moved into politics. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1992...
's campaign for President.
Al Gore's presidential campaign
In the 2000 general election, Devine served as a senior strategist to the Gore/Lieberman campaign and oversaw the day-to-day management of the campaign. Devine was recruited by Carter Eskew to join the campaign part-time in August 1999. In the fall of 1999 and early months of 2000, he was sent occasionally to Gore's campaign headquarters in Nashville as a trouble shooter when Gore was looking for an A.F.L.-C.I.O. endorsement and during the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. In the late spring and early summer of 2000, Devine shifted into a more central role in the campaign. He was recognized not only as a "fierce campaigner", but also as a "mediator among some of the factions that developed within in the Gore campaign." Upon his elevation, Devine helped put Democrats, who were nervous about Gore's success in the primary election against Bill BradleyBill Bradley
William Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.Bradley was born and raised in a suburb of St....
, at ease. Devine, unlike other Gore advisers, suggested taking on Bradley by questioning his credentials as a Democrat. He also used his extensive knowledge of the Democratic party rules to help ensure Gore's victory in the primary by lobbying members of the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee to disallow any primaries in the five weeks between New Hampshire and Super Tuesday
Super Tuesday
In the United States, Super Tuesday, in general, refers to the Tuesday in February or March of a presidential election year when the greatest number of states hold primary elections to select delegates to national conventions at which each party's presidential candidates are officially nominated...
. His aim was to minimize Bradley's political momentum should he win the New Hampshire primary and maximize the effect a New Hampshire loss would have. Devine was also willing to put himself in the role of the contrarian, occasionally questioning Gore's recommendations and telling him when his opinion differed.
John Kerry's presidential campaign
In 2003 and 2004, Devine served as a senior adviser and strategist to Senator John KerryJohn Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
's campaign for President in both the primary and the general election. His elevation to a senior strategic role coincided with Senator Kerry's turn around in late 2003, and Devine remained in a senior role throughout the remainder of the campaign. He frequently represented the campaign on national television programs such as Meet the Press
Meet the Press
Meet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
, C-SPAN, Face the Nation
Face the Nation
Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer is an American Sunday-morning political interview show which premiered on the CBS television network on November 7, 1954. It is one of the longest-running news programs in the history of television...
and other broadcasts.
Political media consulting
Since early 1993, Devine has worked as a media consultant, writing, directing and producing television and radio advertising for leading Democratic candidates in the U.S. and providing strategic advice for national campaigns in Europe, the Middle East and South America. Devine has worked on the winning campaigns of New Jersey Governor Jon CorzineJon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
in 2005, and several campaigns of senators, including Sheldon Whitehouse
Sheldon Whitehouse
Sheldon Whitehouse is the junior U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
(RI), Bill Nelson
Bill Nelson
Clarence William "Bill" Nelson is the senior United States Senator from the state of Florida and a member of the Democratic Party. He is a former U.S. Representative and former Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner of Florida...
(FL), Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders
Bernard "Bernie" Sanders is the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district in the United States House of Representatives...
(VT), John Kerry (MA) and the DSCC
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States Senate. It is the only organization solely dedicated to electing Democrats to the United States Senate. The DSCC's current chair is Sen. Patty Murray, who succeeded Sen. Robert Menendez following...
independent expenditure for the winning senate races of Claire McCaskill
Claire McCaskill
Claire Conner McCaskill is the senior United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Democratic Party. She defeated Republican incumbent Jim Talent in the 2006 U.S. Senate election, by a margin of 49.6% to 47.3%. She is the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri in her own...
(MS) and Robert Menendez
Robert Menendez
Robert "Bob" Menendez is the junior United States Senator from New Jersey and a member of the Democratic Party. In January 2006, he was appointed to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Jon Corzine, who resigned upon being elected Governor of New Jersey. Menendez was elected to his own full...
(NJ), as well as numerous statewide elections. Devine's work as a strategist and media consultant has been recognized by leading media and political consulting organizations. Devine has produced award-winning television advertising for Sen. Edward Kennedy
Edward Kennedy
Edward Kennedy may refer to:*Ted Kennedy, Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy , United States Senator from Massachusetts*Edward Kennedy , journalist who first reported the German surrender in World War II*Edward Kennedy, Jr., son of U.S...
(MA), Sen. John Edwards
John Edwards
Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in...
(NC), and Gov. Parris Glendening
Parris Glendening
Parris Nelson Glendening , a member of the United States Democratic Party, was the 59th Governor of Maryland from January 18, 1995 to January 15, 2003...
(MD).
Internationally, Devine has worked as a strategist and media consultant for the winning campaigns of Colombian President Andres Pastrana in 1998, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak is an Israeli politician who served as Prime Minister from 1999 until 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until January 2011 and holds the posts of Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister in Binyamin Netanyahu's government....
in 1999, Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo
Alejandro Toledo
Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique is a politician who was President of Peru from 2001 to 2006. He was elected in April 2001, defeating former President Alan García...
in 2001, Bolivian President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada
Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada
Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada y Sánchez de Bustamante , familiarly known as "Goni", is a Bolivian politician, businessman, and former President of Bolivia. A lifelong member of the Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario , he is credited for using "shock therapy", the economic theory championed by then...
in 2002, Irish Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
in 1997, 2002 and 2007, Honduran President Mel Zelaya in 2005, and Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich and the Party of Regions
Party of Regions
The Party of Regions is an Ukrainian political party created on October 26, 1997 just prior to the 1998 Ukrainian parliamentary elections under the name of Party of Regional Revival of Ukraine. It was reformed later in 2001 when the party united with several others...
in 2006. Devine worked again with Yanukovich in 2009 and 2010 for his successful Presidential bid. He served as a strategist and media consultant for Ashraf Ghani
Ashraf Ghani
Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai is a prominent politician in Afghanistan and the former chancellor of Kabul University. He is also the chairman of the Institute for State Effectiveness, an organization set up in 2005 to promote the ability of states to serve their citizens. Before returning to...
's 2009 presidential campaign in Afghanistan.
In 2007, Devine joined with Julian Mulvey to form Devine Mulvey, a US and international political consulting firm offering strategic and communications advice to clients across the globe. Leading political organizations have recognized their work with several awards including best Internet ad in 2008 and best statewide ad in 2009. Devine Mulvey received four Reed Awards in 2010 from Campaign and Elections Politics magazine, including the award for Best Statewide Ad, and seven 2010 Pollie awards from the American Association of Political Consultants.
Academic career
From 1991-93, Devine served as Assistant to the President of Boston University. In addition to his duties in the President's office, Devine taught a course on presidential campaigns in the Department of Political Science and was a frequent university lecturer. He has also taught campaign management and strategy courses at the Graduate School of Political Management at The George Washington University. Recently, Devine wrote the chapter on "Paid Media – In an Era of Revolutionary Change" in the book Campaigns on the Cutting Edge (CQ Press, 2008) and on how Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
won the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination in the book Campaigning for President (Routledge 2009) He also frequently lectures in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere. He has lectured at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
's Kennedy School of Government on numerous occasions and is a regular lecturer at the American University's Washington Internship Program and for the "Politics and Journalism Semester" program at the Washington Center for Politics & Journalism. He participates frequently in public fora, such as 2009's Bipartisan Policy Center's Inaugural Political Summit at Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
, entitled "Taking the Poison Out of Partisanship."
Media appearances
Devine has appeared on television programs, including Andrea Mitchell ReportsAndrea Mitchell Reports
Andrea Mitchell Reports is a news show on MSNBC broadcast weekdays from 1 PM ET/10 AM PT hosted by Andrea Mitchell. She originally was an anchor under the MSNBC Live umbrella before getting her own distinct show. She is the NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs correspondent...
, Meet the Press, Face the Nation, FOX News and every major American network, as well as the BBC and other foreign media outlets. Devine guested on the Colbert Report twice, first on February 6, 2008 and later on May 29, 2008, to lend his expertise on superdelegates. Devine appears in the 2005 Rachel Boynton documentary "Our Brand Is Crisis", which follows American political consultants including James Carville
James Carville
Chester James Carville, Jr. is an American political consultant, commentator, educator, actor, attorney, media personality, and prominent liberal pundit. Carville gained national attention for his work as the lead strategist of the successful presidential campaign of then-Arkansas governor Bill...
, Stan Greenberg
Stan Greenberg
Stanley Bernard Greenberg is a leading Democratic pollster and political strategist who has advised the campaigns of Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and John Kerry, as well as hundreds of other candidates and organizations in the United States and around the world, including the former Bundeskanzler ...
, Jeremy Rosner, and Devine during the 2002 Bolivian presidential campaign.
Personal life
Devine lives in McLean, VirginiaMcLean, Virginia
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....
with his wife Ellen and their three children and two dogs.