Jul 29, 2019 - Politics & Policy

Scoop: Buttigieg hires McAuliffe adviser Michael Halle to senior staff

Alayna Treene

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has hired Michael Halle — a close adviser to former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe who most recently ran Richard Cordray's failed 2018 campaign for Ohio governor — as a senior strategist, the Buttigieg campaign confirmed to Axios. It is unclear when his official start date is.

Why it matters: Halle, who also ran Hillary Clinton’s 2016 battleground-state strategy, has impeccable connections to the Democratic establishment and extensive experience working on major campaigns. His hire is the latest in a steady drumbeat of big names that Buttigieg has brought on, with the campaign telling Axios to expect other personnel announcements in the coming days.

Jess O'Connell, former CEO of the Democratic National Committee who also served as executive director of EMILY’s List and had a senior role in Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, recently announced that she has also joined the campaign as a senior adviser.
Halle did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Background: Halle served as deputy field director to Barack Obama for his 2008 campaign, and later as general election director for Obama's 2012 re-election campaign.

He also worked as campaign manager for former Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx's re-election campaign (Foxx was later nominated and confirmed as secretary of transportation under Obama).
He later served as the coordinated campaign director for McAuliffe, as well as McAuliffe's political action committee, Common Good VA.
He then joined Clinton's 2016 presidential election campaign in a senior role, before being hired as Cordray's campaign manager in 2018.

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Scoop: Buttigieg hires McAuliffe adviser Michael Halle to senior staff

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