U.S. Senate hopeful Andrew Romanoff may so far have led a quiet campaign, but behind the scenes he’s getting some high-powered help from a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm that includes some top Obama campaign field directors.
New Partners specializes in grassroots outreach and is informally helping Romanoff get his campaign off the ground, said the former state House speaker, declining to give more detail.
Among the high-profile partners are Dave Hamrick, a former field strategist for then-presidential candidate Barack Obama in the battleground states of Michigan and Pennsylvania, and Paul Tewes, renowned for his primary work for Obama in Iowa.
On other fronts, Romanoff’s campaign has been less-than-traditional, most notably for lack of a designated campaign manager.
And while busy at house meetings and multiple local events, Romanoff’s relatively low profile has nonetheless led to speculation about the health of the 11-week-old campaign among the chattering class.
The introduction of New Partners should tamp down some of that, said Denver Democratic political consultant Steve Welchert. “That’s got a huge impact,” he said. “These are serious guys. Tewes ran Iowa for Obama; he’s an organizational magician.”
New Partners provides a range of services from recruiting a campaign team to motivating people to volunteer and vote. It also consults on fundraising and online outreach and provides research for polling, talking points and strategic planning, according to the firm’s website. Hamrick, the consultant working most closely with the campaign, declined to comment for this report.
Romanoff is challenging sitting Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who has turned to his own Obama veterans for polling and media consulting. Bennet campaign manager Craig Hughes was senior adviser for Obama’s Colorado effort. Bennet has so far raised $3.6 million to defend his seat.
The smart thing for Romanoff to do at this point is stay “in the bunker raising money,” Welchert said.
Fourth-quarter fundraising totals could hurt Romanoff if they’re too low, but he can always raise his public profile closer to the August primary election, Welchert said.
Romanoff said he has relied so far on allies in the state legislature and Capitol as surrogates and strategists, as well as several hundred volunteers.
Among them are state Treasurer Cary Kennedy and former state Sen. Majority Leader Ken Gordon, both campaign chairs and strategists.
But most staff, like the three now splitting campaign managerial duties, are volunteers.
While some have urged him to quietly build support and raise cash, others were looking to Romanoff, an underdog in terms of timing and money, to come out stronger and more immediately.
Denver political analyst Eric Sondermann said the grassroots work may get Romanoff in the game, but not necessarily to the finish line.
“The campaign is surprisingly low-key for someone who is so media-savvy,” Sondermann said. “You need a strong consulting team, strong brainpower, and ultimately for donors, that’s one factor they look to in terms of assessing viability.”
