Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
The Senate GOP's incoming majority will bring some new people to power behind the scenes.
Let's look at some committee and leadership staffers who might be writing the bills, negotiating nitty-gritty details and managing the Senate floor next year.
Geoff Antell, chief of staff for Senate GOP Whip John Thune
Antell is the current top staffer in Thune's leadership office, and he's got a deep history on the Hill.
- He was trade counsel for House Ways and Means before moving to the office of then-Speaker Paul Ryan and later joining Thune's team.
- If Thune wins the leadership battle, Antell, a Harvard Law graduate, could be a huge voice in setting the direction of the GOP conference.
Drew Brandewie, chief of staff for Sen. John Cornyn
Brandewie is a longtime staffer for Texas' senior senator and could become an even bigger player if Cornyn is the majority leader.
- He served as a press secretary and comms director for Cornyn before taking the chief role in 2022, per LinkedIn.
Laura Atcheson, senior counsel for Cornyn
Atcheson, a graduate of Florida State University's College of Law, has worked in Cornyn's office nearly 10 years, according to LegiStorm.
- Before that, she served as Clean Water Act counsel on the EPW Committee under former Sens. David Vitter and Jim Inhofe.
Adam Tomlinson, Environment and Public Works GOP staff director
Tomlinson is a West Virginia native who's done two lengthy stints for likely incoming EPW Chair Shelley Moore Capito going back to her time in the House.
- He'd been her legislative director for nearly 10 years before becoming Capito's top committee staffer when she took the helm for Republicans in 2021, per LinkedIn.
- A graduate of West Virginia University's College of Law, Tomlinson is a veteran of the IRA reconciliation fight, and he'll be a key player in the next battle to peel back unspent money in EPW's jurisdiction.
Justin Memmott, Energy and Natural Resources GOP staff director
Memmott has worked for Ranking Member John Barrasso since 2007, in the personal office and on three different committees.
- A Vanderbilt University Law School alum, Memmott has been Barrasso's energy policy advisor and a senior counsel on EPW before moving with the senator to work on ENR.
- He helped negotiate the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, this year's Russian uranium ban law and the Manchin-Barrasso permitting bill.
- Barrasso's slated to be the No. 2 Republican next year, so Memmott may move up into that office, but he's a person to watch no matter where he lands.
Fitzhugh Elder, Agriculture GOP staff director
Elder joined the panel reporting to Sen. John Boozman in 2021 and oversees the staff working to shape the farm bill.
- Elder has more than two decades of Senate service, including eight years with the Senate agriculture appropriations subcommittee as deputy Republican clerk and Republican clerk.
Samuel Crofts, legislative assistant for Sen. Mike Lee
Crofts handles energy and natural resources issues for Lee, including his current ENR portfolio, according to LinkedIn.
- He could move over to ENR if Lee is the chair next year, but we'll be watching the staff reshuffling on that committee.
