JESSE HARRIS

Jesse HarrisJesse Harris specializes in strategic campaign planning including the development, management, and implementation of targeted grassroots voter contact programs. 

Jesse has served in a variety of government and political positions working to coordinate the activities of diverse partners including local, state, and federal candidate campaigns, organized labor, and other progressive organizations. 

Recently, Jesse served as the early vote and get out the vote director for Barack Obama’s winning 2008 general election campaign in Iowa, political director for U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, and field director for Chet Culver’s winning primary and general election campaigns in 2006. 

Additionally, Jesse worked as the director of the 2008 Iowa Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign and field director of the 2006 Iowa Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign.  In those roles, he managed hundreds of employees, directed budgets, and developed field programs to support candidates running for state legislature, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, governor, and various other statewide offices.  In those positions, Jesse collaborated closely with organized labor and other partners to effectively incorporate volunteers and financial resources into the campaign’s early voting and other voter contact programs. 

In 2009, Jesse served as state director for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Change that Works campaign.  In that capacity, Jesse developed a field, political, and communications strategy to engage membership and other activists in the federal health care debate and connect those individuals to Iowa’s federal elected officials at public forums and through letters to the editor, op-ed’s, handwritten letters, and phone calls.   

Most recently, Jesse served as Deputy Secretary of State for the state of Iowa where he directed the business services division, supervised the office’s budgeting process and communications operation, and assisted with administering the 2008 Primary and General Elections. 

Jesse grew up in central Iowa and graduated summa cum laude from Simpson College in Indianola.  He was the winner of the Woody Hayes National Student-Athlete of the Year award and was named Simpson College’s outstanding senior in both historical studies and political science.