Nashville's Ben Eagles serves as speechwriter for second gentleman Doug Emhoff
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Ben Eagles. Photo: courtesy of the ThirtyFive Group
Already a veteran of recent Nashville elections, Ben Eagles' latest campaign role has elevated him to the world of presidential politics.
Why it matters: Eagles serves as the director of speechwriting for second gentleman Doug Emhoff, the husband of Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris.
How it works: Eagles writes the prepared remarks for Emhoff's speaking engagements, including formal campaign stump speeches and fundraisers.
Flashback: Eagles, who went to college at Vanderbilt, spent four years as senior adviser to then-Nashville Mayor John Cooper before launching a political consulting shop this year.
- Eagles managed Cooper's victorious 2019 mayoral campaign. He also served as a campaign aide to former Nashville Metro Council members Mary Carolyn Roberts and Kathleen Murphy and on current Mayor Freddie O'Connell's 2015 council race.
- His work for Cooper included helping to craft his annual State of Metro addresses and other speeches.
Catch up quick: This gig with Emhoff was an unexpected detour.
- Eagles tells Axios he did volunteer policy work for President Joe Biden's campaign last year. He was connected to it through fellow former Cooper aide TJ Ducklo, who previously worked for the Biden White House.
- When Harris was elevated to the top of the Democratic ticket, it created a need to expand Emhoff's campaign team, which eventually led to Eagles landing the job of speechwriter.
What he's saying: "The intensity is high," Eagles told Axios on Monday prior to traveling with the Emhoff team to a campaign stop in Pittsburgh. "Being able to play my one small role in the most important event happening in the world this year is what drew me to be a part of this."
- Eagles, 35, mixed in the work of traveling around the country for a presidential campaign with wedding planning. He got married earlier this month. He says Emhoff called him on Facetime shortly before the ceremony.
- "It's been fun to work on something that's this high stakes and high temp," Eagles says.
Zoom in: Emhoff's speeches have shown several unique policy lanes. Emhoff, who is Jewish, was a business attorney before Harris was elected vice president.
- His speeches zero in on small-business issues, reproductive rights and combatting antisemitism.
Zoom out: In addition to Eagles, Paige Hill, who worked for Karl Dean's gubernatorial campaign in Tennessee, serves as communications director for Emhoff. Hill previously worked as a communications aide to Biden.