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And a Childers Shall Lead Them

Much has been made in recent days of the work Democratic pollster John Anzalone did for newly elected Rep. Travis Childers (D) in his special election victory in the solidly Republican 1st district of Mississippi.

[IMGCAP(1)]But Childers’ media consultant in that race, Fletcher Rowley Chao Riddle Inc., has also received credit for the former Prentiss County Chancery Clerk’s win over Southaven Mayor Greg Davis (R) in a district that strongly supported President Bush in 2004.

“This was the result of an incredible team effort,” FRCR President John Rowley said in a statement. “We had the perfect candidate with an amazing group of people helping him on the ground in Mississippi.”

FRCR is based in Nashville, Tenn., and at least one of the Democratic firm’s clients — Doña Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley (D), running in New Mexico’s GOP-leaning 2nd district — noted while unveiling his latest television ad that the spot was created by the same team that advised Childers in the Mississippi special.

FRCR is composed of partners William Fletcher, the firm’s CEO; Rowley, the firm’s president; Ben Chao, who recently served as national political director for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson’s (D) presidential bid; and Mark Riddle, who in 2006 served as executive director of the Kentucky Democratic Party.

The Democratic Members on FRCR’s client roster who serve in House districts that voted for Bush in 2004 include Reps. Charlie Melancon (La.), Jerry McNerney (Calif.), Zack Space (Ohio) and Tim Mahoney (Fla.).

Zinger. Businessman Marty Ozinga (R), running to succeed retiring Rep. Jerry Weller (R) in Illinois’ 11th district, has settled on his campaign team.

Ozinga’s pollster is Glen Bolger, of the Republican Washington, D.C.-based firm Public Opinion Strategies.

Ozinga’s media consultant is Jonathan Poe, of the GOP firm Anthem Media. Poe served last cycle as deputy political director of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Aaron Leibowitz, a partner in the Republican firm Targeted Creative Communications, is Ozinga’s direct-mail adviser.

Joe Rachinsky, of Catalyst Group, is handling Ozinga’s political action committee fundraising. Laura Anderson, of the Illinois firm Winning Systems Inc., is raising money for Ozinga in the Land of Lincoln.

Ozinga’s campaign manager is Andy Sere. Now on his fifth stint managing a campaign, Sere has run targeted state legislative races in Texas and Virginia, and he helped lead New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann to victory earlier this year in a three-way GOP primary in Illinois’ 11th district.

Baldermann dropped out of the race after winning the primary, and county GOP officials in the 11th district replaced him as the nominee with Ozinga. The Democratic nominee in the highly competitive race is state Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson.

Franken Sense. Stephanie Schriock is set to join comedian Al Franken’s (D) Minnesota Senate campaign as its manager early next month. Franken is set to challenge Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) this fall.

Schriock most recently served as Sen. Jon Tester’s (D-Mont.) chief of staff after managing his defeat of three-term incumbent Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) in 2006.

“I’m incredibly proud of the campaign we’ve built and incredibly excited about Stephanie coming aboard to run it,” Franken said in a statement. “She’s a good friend, a remarkable talent, and someone who knows a little something about beating Republican Senators who’ve forgotten what their job was supposed to be in Washington.”

Schriock was born in Minnesota and went to college there, although she grew up in Montana.

Before shepherding Tester to victory, she served as senior adviser and finance director for former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean’s (D) 2004 presidential campaign, and she managed David Walters’ 2002 Senate campaign in Oklahoma.

Schriock worked at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from 1999 to 2002.

Good Pearson. Tricia Pearson was named regional political director for the northwest by the Republican National Committee.

Most recently, Pearson served as senior adviser in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Entrepreneurial Development. Before that, she was acting chief of staff to then-Sen. George Allen (R-Va.).

Pearson worked at the National Republican Senatorial Committee from 2003 to 2004, serving as western political director. She began her career working for Burns in Montana.

The Fox and the Hound. Patrick Dorinson, a Republican consultant based in Sacramento, Calif., now has his own blog.

In addition to consulting for his clients through his firm, PD Communications, Dorinson is now offering his insights into what is going on in California state politics at foxandhoundsdaily.com.

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