STAFFER

Jaime Harrison is the new Chairman of the DNC and former staffer who got his start working for legendary South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn. In 2018, he co-authored a book about staffers called “Climbing the Hill: How to Build a Career in Politics and Make a Difference”. Jaime ran for a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina in 2020 and is said to represent the future of the Democratic Party. Foll...

Chris Lu has served in all three branches of the government, including as the Deputy Secretary of Labor in the Obama Administration. He shares stories about getting his start in government and what it was like being Chief Operating Officer of a 17,000 employee agency. Follow STAFFER on Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Felda Looper became the first female page in 1973 working for Democratic Whip Carl Albert (OK). Hear how she blazed the trail for young women to work on the Hill and what it was like working in Washington.

Scott Fairchild, Executive Director of the DSCC, catches up with Jim about his career in politics. They discuss how he got into the industry, navigating the present day partisanship, and shares advice for success as a staffer.  ___ Scott Fairchild grew up in Long Island, NY and earned a Bachelor’s degree in government and history from Wesleyan University in 2000. After graduation, in 2002, he work...

In this two part episode of STAFFER, we hear from historian and author Tevi Troy who got his start in politics as a staffer, working in Congress and the White House. Jim and Tevi discuss his latest book, Fight House: Rivalries in the White House from Truman to Trump. Additionally, in honor of Valentine’s Day, we get to meet Jim’s better half, Katie Papa, a 17-year veteran of the House of Represent...

Anne Caprara was born and raised in the Philadelphia area and graduated from American University in 2001 with a B.A. in communications, law, economics, and government. She graduated from The George Washington University in 2003 with an M.A. in political management, while concurrently working as a Business Development Assistant at Cassidy & Associates – a government relations firm in Washington DC....

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro joins STAFFER to discuss her career in politics. She discusses how she got her start as a staffer in Mayor Frank Logue’s office in New Haven, CT and recounts tales from her 30-year career working in Congress. Congresswoman DeLauro is a champion for the underserved and has used her never-ending energy to fight every day to make change for her constituents.  Follow STAFFER...

Josh Holmes, the former Chief of Staff for Mitch McConnell and campaign manager for McConnell’s 2014 re-election campaign, joins Jim to discuss this current moment in politics. He has condemned the events of January 6th and offers his perspective on how staffers can help mend our fraying political system. Follow STAFFER on Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

We compiled our favorite "In the Vault" answers from our first 15 episodes. It’s one of Jim's favorite questions and it goes like this: "Tell me a time when you royally screwed up, how did you recover, and what did you learn from it?" Follow STAFFER on Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Frank Luntz joins STAFFER to discuss his life working in politics – highlighting getting his education in the U.K. and learning from Boris Johnson, the role of a pollster on a campaign, and some comments on the current political climate in Washington. Follow STAFFER on Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Stephanie Schriock is a name known far and wide in politics. She has been the president of EMILY’s List -- an organization dedicated to electing Democratic women to office -- since 2010 and has been named to ELLE Magazine's “10 Most Powerful Women in Washington” list. In this episode, Jim talks to Stephanie about how she got started in politics, her leadership style, and what she plans to do after...

Veteran Obama staffer Heather Higginbottom joins Jim Papa to discuss her career in government and politics. Heather has spent time in both the public and private sectors and has a unique perspective on how each experience has impacted her outlook on bringing change to America. She currently serves as the head of the new JPMorgan Chase Policy Center. Follow STAFFER on Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Alphonso David, President of the Human Rights Campaign, joins STAFFER to discuss spending his life fighting for change. Inspired in his youth by watching others — including his father — fight for change against oppressive policies, Alphonso became a lawyer, fighting against civil rights injustices and for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. In this episode, he lays out his vision for what makes a...

Michele Jawando is currently the US Head of Strategic Engagement and Public Policy Partnerships at Google, but she got her start as a staffer working for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. In this episode, she and Jim discuss being raised by immigrant parents, how she became interested in politics and activism, how attending an HBCU impacted her life, and what it means for people to see Afric...

From Big Law to the Justice Department and the White House, Kim Harris has advised some of the most powerful offices and corporations. In this episode, Kim takes us through her career in The Office of White House Counsel and how her time as a staffer prepared her for her current role as Executive Vice President of Comcast Corporation and General Counsel of NBCUniversal. Follow STAFFER on Twitter •...

At 19, Luis Miranda emigrated to the United States from Puerto Rico and found a life in politics and public policy. He has since spent nearly four decades as a leader in both the public and private sectors within New York City. His life is the subject of a new HBO Documentary, Siempre, Luis , which follows his life and work, as well as his relationship with his son, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Follow STAF...

Fred Hochberg is a successful businessman and public servant. He helped grow his mother’s business from a small mail-order company into an international, publicly-traded company corporation. Forbes described the success of the company under his control as “one of the great success stories of American entrepreneurship.” Fred brought this same spirit to his career in public service by becoming dDepu...

From Wall Street to the White House, Katie Fallon has had an illustrious career in politics working alongside Senator Chuck Schumer, Hillary Clinton, and President Barack Obama. She left politics in 2016 to work in the private sector, accepting a role at Hilton Hotels as Executive Vice President of Global Corporate Affairs and recently has accepted a new position at McDonald’s as Chief Global Impa...

David Clunie joins STAFFER to discuss his journey from the Bronx to becoming the Executive Director of the Black Economic Alliance (BEA). David reflects on his time developing mentors at Howard University School of Law and his transition to public service in the Obama Administration before joining JPMorgan Chase & Co. Now at the BEA, David focuses his time on the prosperity and economic security o...

Congressman Tom Cole has served as the representative to Oklahoma’s 4th district since 2002. As a member of the Chickasaw Nation, he is one of only four registered Native Americans in Congress, a community for which he is a fierce advocate. In this episode, learn how Congressman Cole was raised in a political family under his mother, Helen Cole, and how his work in public service has afforded him...

Steve Israel served the state of New York in the U.S. House of Representatives for 16 years and is currently a novelist and the Director of the new nonpartisan Institute of Politics and Global Affairs at Cornell University. But, he first got his start as a staffer for Representative Richard Ottinger. The congressman dives into what he finds are the traits of a great staffer, shares stories from hi...

Neera Tanden joins Jim Papa to discuss her long career in politics and her role as a staffer. Neera is the President and CEO of the Center for American Progress and a veteran staffer. While attending UCLA, she found her interest in politics and public policy while working on Michael Dukakis’s presidential run in 1988. She then received her law degree from Yale University and moved to DC to continu...

In this episode, Jim Papa is joined by political strategist, Steve Schmidt. Steve has been working in politics for 30+ years and has managed election campaigns ranging from state Attorney General to, most notably, John McCain’s 2008 presidential run. Today, he is a founding member of The Lincoln Project -- a group of current and former Republicanpolitical operatives dedicated to the defeat of Dona...

Paul Hodes and Matt Robison interview Jim Papa, one of the most experienced staffers in Democratic politics. Jim gives a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to help new members of congress to do their jobs and win their re-election campaigns, explains what it was like working for President Obama and Rahm Emanuel, and shares some of the best insider stories from his own new podcast "Staffer."...

On this episode of STAFFER, Symone Sanders joins host Jim Papa to discuss her life in politics. In August 2015, she joined Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign, serving as the youngest national press secretary on record (25 years old). Currently, she is a Senior Adviser to Vice President Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign. In this episode, they discuss her upbringing, getting her start in po...