Corry Bliss

Last updated

Corwin Albert "Corry" Bliss (born 1981) is an American political consultant and campaign manager to Republican Party (GOP) campaigns. In December 2016, he was named Executive Director of the American Action Network and Congressional Leadership Fund, one of the leading independent political organizations and SuperPACs in the U.S. On his appointment, The New York Times referred to Bliss as "one of his party's most closely watched young strategists." [1]

Contents

Career

Bliss was raised on a horse farm in Westchester County, New York (where he became an accomplished handicapper). [2] He received his undergraduate degree from Boston University and his J.D. from the CUNY School of Law. [3] In 2010, Bliss was helming the campaign of Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie for Governor of Vermont in 2010—a Republican year, but in a state that had become solidly Democratic at most levels. Dubie lost, 47.7% to 49.5%, to Peter Shumlin, who was later selected by the Legislature (under the state Constitution's provision when no candidate receives an absolute majority).

In 2012, Bliss was named manager for Linda McMahon's second campaign for U.S. Senate in Connecticut, as the businesswoman and WWF executive completely overhauled her political team from her previous bid two years earlier. Bliss worked with national strategist Chris LaCivita to give McMahon a more aggressive operation, and they helped McMahon to victory in a GOP primary contested by former longtime Congressman Christopher Shays. The fall race tightened—from August thru mid-October, most statewide polls showed the race even or within the margin of error. [4] but the state's increasing liberalism and the presidential-year downdraft from Mitt Romney's loss to Barack Obama proved too much, and though she ran 7 percentage points ahead of Romney, she was defeated, 43.3% to 55.1% for Congressman Chris Murphy. [5]

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel hired Bliss in 2013 to manage her campaign in the hotly contested primary for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Saxby Chambliss. Handel, financially outgunned by wealthy businessman David Perdue and House Appropriations Chair Jack Kingston, nevertheless ran a strong third in the May 2014 primary. [6] She polled 22% to Kingston's 25.8% and Perdue's 30.6%. [7]

In September 2014, Senate Republicans tapped Bliss and his ally LaCivita to rescue the faltering campaign of incumbent Pat Roberts in Kansas, facing a serious challenge from Independent candidate Greg Orman (following the withdrawal of the Democratic nominee, in what was heretofore a three-way general-election contest). [8] Bliss took over day-to-day command of the Kansan's campaign for the final two months. Roberts, behind or even with Orman in nearly all opinion polls that fall, won re-election with a surprisingly strong 53.1% to Orman's 42.5%. [9]

Bliss's next challenge was the 2016 campaign to re-elect Rob Portman to the U.S. Senate from heavily targeted Ohio, in a presidential year when Democratic turnout was expected to peak, and both parties would bombard Buckeye State voters with tens of millions of dollars in TV, cable and digital ads. Bliss chose to run what Time magazine called "a hyperlocal campaign without betting on the nominee's coattails." [10]

As Real Clear Politics noted, Portman and Bliss had "the thorny challenge of keeping distance from Trump in a state Trump [was] poised to win. Portman, in the year of the outsider, [was] even more of an insider than Clinton . . . Yet he [ran] a local campaign focused on issues like human trafficking and opioid addiction, and secured the endorsement of the Teamsters as well as other unions" (despite being a mostly conservative Republican). [11]

Polls showed the race even (or Portman slightly behind) as of June 2016; afterwards, Portman led Democratic ex-Gov. Ted Strickland in every public survey through Election Day. The final result was 58.0% to 37.2%, nearly a 21-point margin for Portman.

Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post argued that the context of Ohio's result had wider implications. "There are a lot of reasons Republicans held the Senate this fall. But Portman's candidacy in Ohio is the most important one. Portman took a seemingly competitive race in a swing state and put it out of reach by Labor Day, allowing money that was ticketed for his state to be in other races, such as North Carolina and Missouri . . ." [12]

The Washington Post said "Portman took the crown for best campaign", [13] while Real Clear Politics said, "Sen. Rob Portman ran the campaign of the year.". [14] Time magazine called Bliss the "National Republicans’ favorite political fixer" [15]

Portman himself said, ""With an emphasis on utilizing data, grassroots, and technology, Corry led our campaign from behind in the polls to a 21-point victory. He's one of the best strategists in the country." [16]

In naming Bliss to head American Action Network, Chairman Norm Coleman said, "Corry is one of the best young operatives in the country and just managed one of the best campaigns of the 2016 cycle . . .I look forward to working with him to build on our success, and I know we will continue to impact our nation's policies and leaders under his watch." AAN/CLF "promotes limited government policies with the goal of helping House Republicans retain their majority in 2018." [17] Together, AAN and CLF spent $48 million across more than 30 House races in 2016, losing only three of them. [18]

Personal life

Bliss, his wife (the former Kim Fanok) and their son live in Northern Virginia.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Simmons</span> American politician

Robert Ruhl "Rob" Simmons is an American politician and retired U.S. Army colonel who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2007, representing Connecticut's second congressional district as a Republican.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Shays</span> American politician

Christopher Hunter Shays is an American politician. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives as representative of the 4th District of Connecticut. He is a member of the Republican Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linda McMahon</span> 25th Administrator of the Small Business Administration and professional wrestling magnate

Linda Marie McMahon is an American political executive, retired professional wrestler, executive, and performer. She served as the 25th administrator of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Portman</span> American lawyer and politician (born 1955)

Robert Jones Portman is an American attorney and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Ohio since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, Portman was the 35th director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from 2006 to 2007, the 14th United States trade representative from 2005 to 2006, and a U.S. representative from 1993 to 2005, representing Ohio's 2nd district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 United States Senate elections</span>

The 2010 United States Senate elections were held on November 2, 2010, from among the United States Senate's 100 seats. A special election was held on January 19, 2010, for a mid-term vacancy in Massachusetts. Thirty-four of the November elections were for six-year terms to the Senate's Class 3, while other three were special elections to finish incomplete terms. Those 37 November elections featured 19 incumbent Democrats and 18 incumbent Republicans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Bysiewicz</span> 109th Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut

Susan Bysiewicz is an American politician and attorney who is the 109th lieutenant governor of Connecticut, serving since January 9, 2019. She previously served as the 72nd secretary of the state of Connecticut from 1999 to 2011. She was briefly a candidate for governor of Connecticut in 2010, before dropping out to run for Connecticut Attorney General. She was disqualified from running for the office by the Connecticut Supreme Court and announced in 2011 that she was running for the United States Senate in the 2012 election to replace the retiring Joe Lieberman. She lost the Democratic primary to U.S. Representative Chris Murphy, who went on to win the general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 United States Senate election in Connecticut</span>

The 2006 United States Senate election in Connecticut was held November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman won his fourth and final term in the Senate, under the Connecticut for Lieberman party banner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Murphy</span> American lawyer and politician (born 1973)

Christopher Scott Murphy is an American lawyer, author, and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Connecticut since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Connecticut's 5th congressional district from 2007 to 2013. Before being elected to Congress, Murphy was a member of both chambers of the Connecticut General Assembly, serving two terms each in the Connecticut House of Representatives (1999–2003) and the Connecticut Senate (2003–2007).

Christopher Joseph LaCivita is an American political consultant, and partner in FP1 Strategies, a national public-affairs and campaign firm. Since 2004, he has been president of the firm Advancing Strategies LLC. He was formerly with Crosslink Strategy, a conservative lobbying and political consulting firm founded by former John McCain advisor Terry Nelson, a founding partner of FP1 as well. LaCivita is often mentioned for his role as media advisor to the Swift Boat Veterans, an independent-expenditure group credited with a significant impact on the 2004 presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 United States Senate election in New York</span>

The 2010 United States Senate election in New York took place on November 2, 2010, along with elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer won re-election to a third term. Schumer won every county except for Wyoming, Tioga, and Hamilton counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 United States Senate election in Connecticut</span> Federal election results list

The 2010 United States Senate election in Connecticut was a midterm election which took place on November 2, 2010 to decide a Class III Senator from the State of Connecticut to join the 112th United States Congress. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Dodd suffered from dropping approval ratings in the past few years due to major controversies, leading him to announce in January 2010 that he would retire, instead of seeking a sixth term. As Dodd was a Democrat, Richard Blumenthal, incumbent State Attorney General, announced on the same day that he would run for Dodd's seat. The Connecticut Democratic Party nominated Blumenthal on May 21. Businesswoman Linda McMahon won the state party's nominating convention and the August 10 Republican primary to become the Republican candidate. This was the first open Senate seat in Connecticut since 1980 where Dodd was first elected. Blumenthal was the only non-incumbent Democrat to win a non-special election in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 United States Senate election in Ohio</span>

The 2010 United States Senate election in Ohio was held on November 2, 2010, as one of many Ohio elections in 2010. Incumbent two-term Republican U.S. Senator George Voinovich decided to retire instead of seeking a third term. Former Representative Republican Rob Portman won the open seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 United States Senate election in Connecticut</span>

The 2012 United States Senate election in Connecticut was held on November 6, 2012, in conjunction with the 2012 U.S. presidential election, other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. Primaries to elect Senate candidates from the Republican and Democratic parties were held on Tuesday, August 14, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evan Bayh 2008 presidential campaign</span> 2008 presidential campaign of Evan Bayh

The 2008 presidential campaign of Evan Bayh, Democratic Senator and 46th Governor of Indiana, began shortly after the 2004 presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linda McMahon 2010 United States Senate campaign</span>

Linda McMahon, formerly CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, ran for U.S. Senator from Connecticut from September 16, 2009, to November 4, 2010. On May 21, 2010, she won a majority of support from the Connecticut Republican Party. She ran as a Republican, promising lower taxes, fiscal conservatism, and job creation. McMahon spent $50 million of her own money on the campaign, allowing her to refuse campaign donations from special interest groups. She gained name recognition and popularity over her Republican opponents, including Rob Simmons, the prior frontrunner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Orman</span> American businessman and politician

Gregory John Orman is an American politician, businessman, and entrepreneur. He ran as an independent to represent Kansas in the United States Senate in the 2014 election, earning 42.5 percent of the vote and losing to incumbent U.S. Senator Pat Roberts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States Senate election in Missouri</span>

The 2016 United States Senate election in Missouri was held on November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Missouri. It was held concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on August 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Georgia's 6th congressional district special election</span>

A special election to determine the member of the United States House of Representatives for Georgia's 6th congressional district was held on April 18, 2017, with a runoff held two months later on June 20. Republican Karen Handel narrowly defeated Democrat Jon Ossoff in the runoff vote, 51.8% to 48.2%. Handel succeeded Tom Price, who resigned from the seat following his confirmation as United States Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump Administration. The runoff election was necessary when no individual candidate earned the majority of votes in the election on April 18. Ossoff received 48.1% of the vote in the first round, followed by Handel with 19.8%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States Senate election in Connecticut</span>

The 2022 United States Senate election in Connecticut was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States Senate election in Ohio</span>

The 2022 United States Senate election in Ohio was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Ohio. Republican writer and venture capitalist J. D. Vance defeated Democratic U.S. Representative Tim Ryan to succeed retiring incumbent Republican Rob Portman.

References

  1. ↑ Bruni, Frank (2016-12-03). "Opinion | How to Win a Senate Race (Published 2016)". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  2. ↑ Bruni, Frank (2016-12-03). "Opinion | How to Win a Senate Race (Published 2016)". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  3. ↑ "Dan Conston". American Action Network. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  4. ↑ ALTIMARI, DANIELA. "Hard-Charging Campaign Manager Runs Point For McMahon's Assault On Murphy". courant.com. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  5. ↑ "Connecticut". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  6. ↑ Catanese, David, U.S. News & World Report, May 16, 2014, "For Karen Handel in Georgia, a Tough Deal"
  7. ↑ "UNOFFICIAL RESULTS General Primary/General Nonpartisan/Special Election May 20, 2014". Georgia Secretary of State. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  8. ↑ Raju, Manu. "GOP scrambles to save Roberts". POLITICO. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  9. ↑ "2014 Official Kansas General Election Results" (PDF). Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Why Republicans Are Looking Farther Down the Ballot". Time. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  11. ↑ "Things We Know at a Moment of Uncertainty | RealClearPolitics". www.realclearpolitics.com. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  12. ↑ Cillizza, Chris. "The best candidate of 2016". The Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  13. ↑ Cillizza, Chris. "The best candidate of 2016". The Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  14. ↑ "Things We Know at a Moment of Uncertainty" . Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  15. ↑ "Why Republicans Are Looking Farther Down the Ballot". Time.com.
  16. ↑ "Bliss a Big Winner of 2016 Cycle". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  17. ↑ "Bliss a Big Winner of 2016 Cycle". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  18. ↑ Robillard, Kevin. "Corry Bliss to lead American Action Network and Congressional Leadership Fund". POLITICO. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.