Beth Myers

Last updated
Beth Myers
Personal details
Born1957 (age 66–67)
North Carolina, U.S.
Political party Republican
SpouseMarc Myers
Children2
Education Tufts University (BA)
Southern Methodist University (JD)

Beth Myers (born 1957) is an American political consultant, campaign advisor, and attorney who has held senior positions in the political campaigns and the Massachusetts governorship of Mitt Romney, the nominee of the Republican Party for President of the United States in the 2012 election.

Contents

Early life and career

Myers was born in North Carolina, but spent her childhood in Ohio and upstate New York. [1] [2] After graduating from Tufts University with a degree in English in 1979, she joined Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign, becoming an early protege of Republican campaign political strategist Karl Rove. [2] Her task in the campaign was overseeing voter identification programs in rural counties throughout Texas. [2] During the 1980s she worked for the state election campaigns of Ray Shamie in Massachusetts, serving as Shamie's deputy campaign manager, and of Governor Bill Clements in Texas. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1991. After law school, she worked as a litigation associate at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer, & Feld LLP. [3] Myers settled with her husband in Massachusetts, where she served as chief of staff to former state treasurer Joe Malone. [2] In 1998, she retired from politics to stay at home and raise her two young children. [2]

Gubernatorial experience

Myers returned to politics during Mitt Romney’s 2002 campaign for the governorship of Massachusetts, in which she would play the role of the Democratic opponent during debate rehearsals. [2] After helping Romney win the governor's race, Myers served as Romney’s chief of staff during his four years in office (2003—2007). [4]

The Shawmut Group

On Romney’s leaving the governor’s office in 2006, Myers co-founded a consulting firm, The Shawmut Group, along with two other senior Romney advisors, Eric Fehrnstrom and Peter Flaherty. [2] [4] One of their most prominent clients has been Scott Brown, a then little-known Republican state senator whom they helped win the 2010 special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Democrat Ted Kennedy. [2] Myers has also advised Republican Rick Lazio in his unsuccessful 2010 campaign against Andrew Cuomo for the governorship of New York. [3] Mitt Romney's Free and Strong America PAC is another client of The Shawmut Group.

2008 presidential campaign

Myers worked closely with Romney again in 2007–08, serving as campaign manager in his bid for the presidency. [1]

2012 presidential campaign

In April 2012, Romney announced that he had chosen Myers to lead his presidential campaign’s search to help him select a vice presidential candidate. [5] [6]

Romney aides have described Myers as Romney's most trusted advisor. [7] [8]

Subsequent career

In 2013, Myers was a signatory to an amicus curiae brief submitted to the Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage during the Hollingsworth v. Perry case. [9]

In the 2014 midterm election, Myers' son, Curt Myers, ran for Massachusetts State Representative in Brookline. He challenged Rep. Frank Smizik (D) and lost 80% to 20%.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Who runs government: Beth Myers". The Washington Post. July 17, 2012. Archived from the original on April 28, 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rucker, Philip (April 16, 2012). "Beth Myers, longtime Romney adviser and confidante, to lead VP search". The Washington Post.
  3. 1 2 Haberman, Maggie (July 29, 2010). "Lazio, 'sprinting' with new staff". Politico.
  4. 1 2 Johnson, Glen (April 17, 2012). "Mitt Romney's choice of Beth Myers to lead VP search highlights his small circle of trust". The Boston Globe.
  5. ↑ Friedman, Emily (April 16, 2012). "Romney picks head of Veep search, says talks started this weekend". ABC News.
  6. ↑ Peoples, Kasie Huntsteve (August 12, 2012). "Ryan selection shrouded in secrecy". Businessweek. Archived from the original on August 15, 2012.
  7. ↑ "50 politicos to watch: players in a Romney presidency". Politico. July 12, 2012.
  8. ↑ Borger, Gloria (August 11, 2012). "How Romney chose his running mate". CNN. Archived from the original on August 16, 2012.
  9. ↑ Avlon, John (28 February 2013). "The Pro-Freedom Republicans Are Coming: 131 Sign Gay Marriage Brief". The Daily Beast.
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