Ken Mehlman: Deputy Assistant and Director of Political Affairs
Saturday, August 15th, 2009
In January 2001, Kenneth Mehlman was chosen as the deputy assistant to the U.S. President as well as director of the White House political affairs. With these appointments, he worked with members of federal agencies, Congress, community groups and state parties.
Ken Mehlman, during the general election in 2000, functioned as national field director for the Bush-Cheney campaign. He was working with the campaign’s headship in all 50 U.S. states to enhance solid grassroots teams, administering winning political strategies. Mehlman supervised the campaign’s operation and worked directly for the Republican National Committee and state parties to establish and execute victory and voter contact initiatives.
He was also political director for the Midwest during the primaries. Ken Mehlman, who was responsible for handling the 10 states in the Midwest, administered the Iowa team and wrote and employed the strategy that formed Governor Bush’s notable Iowa caucus win – the top percentage of votes for a Republican in the caucus record. The grassroots model of Iowa was used in the primaries in Virginia, Ohio, South Carolina, Missouri, Maryland and other American states.
Prior to his appointment, Ken Mehlman was Rep. Kay Granger’s chief of staff between 1996 and 1999. And even before that, he was Rep. Lamar Smith’s legislative director between 1994 and 1996.