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AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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PAUL closes in Western Market
By Ella Mitchell, Staff Writer • April 22, 2024

Former Mitt Romney campaign manager named a fellow at GSPM

Mitt Romney may have lost his presidential bid in 2012, but now his campaign manager will get to teach budding GW politicos what he’s learned from the defeat.

Matt Rhoades, the campaign manager during Romney’s presidential run in 2012, will be one of three fellows in the Graduate School of Political Management starting next year, the University announced Tuesday. Rhoades, who is also an alumnus of the school, will give guest lectures and serve on panels at select events.

The former campaign manager, known as someone who kept a low profile but kept a close eye on details during the Romney campaign, now leads America Rising, a Republican super PAC and opposition research firm.

He also served as Romney’s communication’s director in 2008, when the Republican hopeful vied for the party’s nomination but lost to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

After Romney’s 2012 loss, the Republican National Committee called on the party to modernize, and Rhoades stepped forward with two former communications officials to form America Rising.

Ali Lapp, who leads the House Majority PAC, which aims to elect more Democrats to the House of Representatives, will also join the school as a fellow. Both she and Rhoades landed on Politico’s 2012 list of 50 political operatives to watch.

Maria Cardona, a principal at the Dewey Square Group, is the third fellow. She leads the organization’s Multicultural and Public Affairs practices. Born in Colombia, she founded Latinovations, an advocacy group for Latino Americans.

Cardona is also a contributor to CNN and served as a senior adviser to the Hillary Clinton for President campaign in 2008.

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