Barack Obama-Organization, North Carolina
revised July 18, 2008

OBAMA FOR AMERICA
Headquarters:  130 East Morgan Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
 
State Director Craig Schirmer
State director on Obama's Wisconsin primary campaign and earlier GOTV director on Obama's South Carolina primary campaign.  Los Angeles-based political consultant.  Campaign manager on Erskine Bowles' 2002 race for U.S. Senate in North Carolina (open Helms seat; lost to Elizabeth Dole).  Directed South Carolina Democrats' Coordinated Campaign in 1998.  Graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison.
 
Political Director Eureka Gilkey
(announced Oct. 10, 2007)  Gilkey started out as the campaign's deputy political director in Chicago, then served as the Georgia state director and after that as Texas political director.  National training director for EMILY's List during the 2006 cycle.  Deputy political director of NARAL Pro-Choice America during the 2004 election cycle.  PAC coordinator at the AFL-CIO during the 2002 election cycle.  Message and polling coordinator at the DNC.  Gilkey has worked on several campaigns, including Diane E. Watson for Congress (CA-32) and Ron Kirk for U.S. Senate in Texas.  First job out of college was political assistant at EMILY's List.  Graduate of Howard University.  Texas native.  [Note. As national training director for EMILY's List, Gilkey collaborated with Obama's Leadership PAC, Hopefund, to launch "Yes We Can" -- a training program for young African American and Hispanic activists].
 
Field Director Katina Tsongas
Most recently worked on the campaign in Cincinnati; started out on Obama's NH primary campaign where she was a regional field director, based in Concord.   Came to the campaign from Washington, DC where she was a regional field director for Environmental Defense's Climate Change Campaign.  Worked on Sen. Tom Daschle’s campaign in 2004.  Full-time volunteer on Wesley Clark's 2004 NH primary campaign.  Experienced the 1992 NH primary at age 14 when her father, the late Sen. Paul Tsongas (D-MA) was a candidate.  M.P.P. from Harvard.  Undergraduate degree in urban studies from Brown University.
 
Communications Director Dan Leistikow
Previously communications director for Obama's Wisconsin primary campaign.  Communications director on John Edwards 2007-08 Iowa caucus campaign.  Communications director to Gov. Jim Doyle (D-WI) starting in 2004, and also worked on Doyle's 2006 re-election campaign; joined Doyle's staff in Feb. 2003 as press secretary.  Communications director for Missouri Senator Jean Carnahan’s 2002 campaign.  Deputy communications director for Carnahan's Senate office in Washington, D.C., 2001.  Communications director for the Washington State Coordinated Campaign in 2000.  Chief speechwriter to Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams from Feb. 1999 to June 2000.  He also served in the offices of Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell and Hawaii Congressman Neil Abercrombie.  1998 graduate of Georgetown University.
Marti Adams
Chris Sopher

Deputy Political Director and GOTV Political Director Dan Kanninen
Started on the campaign in the political department in the Wisconsin primary, and then served as the early vote lead in Ohio.  Chief of staff to Wisconsin state Senator Bob Jauch (D-Poplar) for four years, and has almost a decade of experience in the Wisconsin State Capitol.


Regional Field Directors include:
northeastern North Carolina (Elizabeth City) -  Lauren Champaign
 

38 offices as of May 6, 2008
Asheville - 107 Merrimon Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801

Boone - 920 West King Street, Suite B, Boone, NC 28607

Burlington - 113 East Front Street, Burlington, NC 28144

Chapel Hill - 504 West Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Charlotte - 1523 Elizabeth Avenue, Suite 120, Charlotte, NC 28204
Charlotte satellite (University area) - 7925 N Tryon St, , Charlotte, NC 28204  ...grand opening April 28, 2008

Clayton - 34 Oleander Dr., Clayton, NC 27527

Clinton - 305 E. Main St., Clinton, NC 28328

Durham - 112 West Main St., 2nd Fl, Durham, NC 27701

Elizabeth City - 427 South Hughes Boulevard, Elizabeth City, NC 27909  ...grand opening March 29, 2008

Fayetteville  - 214 Hay Street, 2nd Floor (Rear entrance), Fayetteville, NC 28301

Gastonia - 413 W. Main Ave., Ste. 110, Gastonia, NC 28052

Goldsboro - 210 S. William St., Goldsboro, NC 27530

Greensboro - 500 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27401

Greenville - 414 Evans Street, Greenville, NC 27858

Hendersonville - 614 Spartanburg Highway, Hendersonville, NC  28792

Hickory - 258 1st Avenue NW, Hickory, NC 28601

High Point - 710 East Washington Drive, High Point, NC 27260

Jacksonville - 468-A Western Ave., Jacksonville, NC 28546

Lexington - 223 S. Main St., Lexington, NC 27292

Lumberton - 1209 N. Pine St., Lumberton, NC 28358

Monroe - 616B West Roosevelt Blvd., Monroe, NC  28110

Mount Airy - 228 Franklin St., 2nd Fl., Mount Airy, NC 27030

New Bern - 806 Queen Street,  New Bern, NC 28560

North Raleigh - 8321 Six Forks Rd., Raleigh, NC 27615

Raleigh - 130 East Morgan Street, Raleigh, NC 27601

Rocky Mount - 1956 Stone Rose Drive, Rocky Mount, NC 27804

Salisbury - 215 Depot Street, Suite B, Salisbury, NC 28144

Shelby - 205 S. Washington St., Shelby, NC 28150

Southern Pines - 175 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines, NC 28387

Statesville - 240 W. Broad St., Statesville, NC  28677

Washington - 408 N. Market St., Washington, NC 27880

West Charlotte - 1520 West Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28208

Wilmington - 511 North 3rd Street, Wilmington, NC 28401

Wilson - 1211 Tarboro St., Wilson, NC 27895

Windsor - 102 E. Granville St., Windsor, NC 27983

Winston-Salem - 8 West 3rd Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
 
 
 

Endorsements include
U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield (NC-1) (switched from supporting John Edwards on Jan. 11, 2008)
U.S. Rep. David Price (NC-4) (announced April 23, 2008 with other former Edwards supporters)
U.S. Rep. Mel Watt (NC-12) (announced April 23, 2008 with other former Edwards supporters)

Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue (candidate for governor)  (March 12, 2008)
Treasurer Richard Moore (candidate for governor)  (Feb. 2008)

29 state legislators (announced April 22, 2008)

43 mayors, mayors pro tem and former mayors (announced April 23, 2008)
including several announced earlier
Durham Mayor Bill Bell  (approx Nov. 1, 2007)
Greensboro Mayor Yvonne Johnson (March 24, 2008)

former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt

former Edwards supporters including Ed Turlington, Edwards' former National General Chairman (announced April 23, 2008)
 
Adelaide Daniels Key - philanthropist of Beaverdam and former John Edwards supporter (announced April 30, 2008)


more superdelegates
Everett Ward
Dannie Montgomery
Joyce Brayboy

 and
 Charlotte Observer (05/04/08)

also note
national communications director Robert Gibbs is a North Carolina State University graduate.
 

post-primary
North Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Meek and North Carolina DNC member Jeanette Council (announced May 7, 2008)
U.S. Rep. Brad Miller (May 8, 2008)

Copyright © 2008  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action