Ed Rollins
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Ed Rollins | |
---|---|
White House Director of Political and Intergovernmental Affairs | |
In office February 5, 1985 – October 1, 1985 | |
President | Ronald Reagan |
Preceded by | Margaret D. Tutwiler (Acting, Political Affairs) Lee Verstandig (Intergovernmental Affairs) |
Succeeded by | Mitch Daniels |
White House Director of Political Affairs | |
In office January 22, 1982 – October 1983 | |
President | Ronald Reagan |
Preceded by | Lyn Nofziger |
Succeeded by | Margaret D. Tutwiler (Acting) |
Personal details | |
Born | Edward Rollins March 19, 1943 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse(s) | First wife (divorced) Sherrie Sandy (divorced) Shari Scharfer (2003–present) |
Education | Solano Community College San Jose State University California State University, Chico (BA) |
Edward Rollins (born March 19, 1943) is an American
Rollins previously served as chairman of the pro–Donald Trump Great America PAC.[3][4][5]
Early life and education
Rollins was born in
He competed as a boxer from ages 13 to 23, winning several West Coast amateur titles. Rollins recalls his record as 164 victories and just 2 defeats.[7]
Graduating from high school in 1961, he tried to enlist in the
Early political career
Rollins interned in
After the 1968 election and the
Rollins moved to Washington in 1973, to serve as principal assistant to
From 1977 to 1979, he served as dean of the faculty and deputy superintendent at the National Fire Academy in Washington. During that time, he met and married Kitty Nellor Burnes. In early 1979, Rollins returned to Sacramento with his wife Kitty Nellor and became chief of staff for the Assembly Republican Caucus. During this period, he was offered but ultimately declined the position of chief of staff to former President Nixon.[citation needed]
Reagan administration, 1981-1983
After the landslide GOP victory in November 1980, Rollins was hired to serve as deputy assistant to the president for political affairs under Nofziger. When Nofziger resigned in November 1981, Rollins was appointed as assistant to the president for political affairs and director of the Office of Political Affairs.
A week before the 1982 election, on October 25, Rollins suffered two strokes, the result of a deteriorating neck artery that had been injured during his final boxing match in 1967. He recovered and returned to his White House job in December 1982, holding the position until resigning in October 1983 to lead Reagan's re-election campaign.[dead link][10] In the second term, he rejoined the Reagan Administration for several months in 1985 as Assistant to the President for Political and Governmental Affairs.[11]
Political campaigns
Rollins worked as national campaign director to Ronald Reagan in the 1984
In the 1988 Republican presidential primaries, Rollins managed the campaign of former New York Congressman Jack Kemp.
In 1989, Rollins headed the National Republican Congressional Committee, the House Republicans' campaign wing.[dead link][12] Rollins got into a highly visible feud with President Bush over the 1990 budget deal, in which Bush broke his 1988 campaign promise not to raise taxes. Rollins wrote a memo to GOP candidates, telling them unequivocally, "Do not hesitate to distance yourself from the President." He later wrote, "My job was electing Republicans to the House. George Bush and his tax deal made that impossible. Now my job was to see how many we could save ... Guys who didn't think they had a race were all of a sudden fighting for their lives, including Newt Gingrich."[13]
After resigning from the NRCC, Rollins began working as Washington managing partner for the
In June 1992, Rollins agreed to serve as co-manager (with Carter Democrat Hamilton Jordan) of Ross Perot's 1992 presidential campaign. He resigned in July. Later, he suggested that Perot was not emotionally suited to be president. Perot initially ended his campaign the day after Rollins resigned, only to resume his campaign after the Democratic National Convention.
Rollins worked as the campaign manager for
Rollins managed the campaign of George Nethercutt, who defeated Tom Foley in Washington State's eastern congressional district in November 1994.[15] That year, he was also general consultant to the Michael Huffington campaign for U.S. Senate in California, who lost to late Democrat Dianne Feinstein, and also helped direct the Bruce D. Benson campaign for Governor of Colorado.
In 1998, Rollins consulted on the campaign of Joe Khoury, a Republican candidate in Southern California's
In the 2002 campaign for Governor of California, Rollins consulted for then-Secretary of State Bill Jones, who ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination, losing to Bill Simon. Rollins was then hired by Simon for the fall gubernatorial campaign, which lost to incumbent Democrat Gray Davis.
In 2006, Rollins consulted on the campaign of Republican
Rollins was the national campaign chairman on Mike Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign. Rollins was later overheard saying that he wanted to "knock out" Mitt Romney's teeth.[17]
Rollins signed on to plan the campaign of Michele Bachmann (R), U.S. representative for Minnesota's 6th district. At the time of his appointment, Bachmann had not yet announced her candidacy but was expected to make her intentions known in June 2011.[18] Rollins "stepped down from running day-to-day operations of the Bachmann campaign" as of September 2011, citing health reasons.[19] Later, it was revealed that he had suffered a stroke.[20]
As of May 2016, Rollins joined the pro–Donald Trump Great America PAC and currently serves as chairman,[21][22] along with founder Eric Beach and treasurer Dan Backer.[23][24][25] As of December 2019, the PAC—which the Trump 2016 campaign properly disavowed, because it is not authorized by that campaign—has paid Rollins at least $330,000.[26] Great America PAC has been one of the largest non-party outside spenders during the 2020 election cycle.[27]
In November 2021, Rollins and entrepreneur Harrison Rogers launched Restore Our Freedom PAC, which plans to spend $10 million in support of Republicans ahead of the 2022 and 2024 elections.[28] The new PAC aims to "undermine the radical Biden agenda and boost pro-liberty Republicans on a national level."[29]
In May 2022, Rollins helped launch Ready for Ron, an organization working to draft and elect Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as president.[30][31]
Personal life
Rollins has been married three times; his first two marriages ended in divorce. He wed his third wife, Shari Lois Scharfer, a former CBS television executive, in 2003. He has an adopted daughter, Lily, from his second marriage to Sherrie Rollins Westin.[32] Rollins lives in New York, where he has served as political commentator for CNN and (currently) Fox News and Fox Business, appearing frequently on Lou Dobbs Tonight.
Books
- Bare Knuckles and Back Rooms: My Life in American Politics, co-authored by Tom DeFrank (N.Y.: Broadway Books, 1996)
References
- ^ "Ron DeSantis backers plan $3.3mn spending blitz on White House bid". Financial Times. January 19, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ "The external campaign grows for a DeSantis 2024 bid". ABC News. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ Ballhaus, Rebecca (May 16, 2016). "Ed Rollins Says His Pro-Trump Super PAC Is Tops". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
- ^ Kulat, Cathi (January 30, 2020). "Why pro-Trump 'rubes' will win again in 2020". The Hill. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- ^ "The external campaign grows for a DeSantis 2024 bid". ABC News. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ "?". sacbee.com. NewsBank. November 13, 1993. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ^ Rollins, Ed, with Tom DeFrank, Bare Knuckles and Back Rooms: My Life in American Politics (New York: Broadway Books, 1996), p. 11, 26
- ^ "Rollins, Edward J". www.reagan.utexas.edu. Archived from the original on July 15, 2007.
- ^ Ed Rollins on CNN, November 5, 2008
- University of Texas. Archived February 27, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Ronald Reagan: Appointment of Edward J. Rollins as Assistant to the President for Political and Governmental Affairs". American Presidency Project. February 5, 1985. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ^ [2] Leading Authorities Archived December 30, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Bare Knuckles and Back Rooms: My Life in American Politics, pp. 200-207
- ^ "House Divided". People. March 31, 1997. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ^ Edward Rollins - Leading Authorities Speakers Bureau Archived December 16, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The Wall Street Journal, May 10, 2006: "Katherine Harris Battles Old Friends For Florida's Keys" Archived May 9, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Thomas, Will (January 2, 2008). "Huckabee Adviser Wants to 'Knock Out' Romney's Teeth". HuffPost. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ^ Weisman, Jonathan (June 6, 2011). "Ed Rollins, Veteran Campaign Hand, Signs Up With Bachmann". Washington Wire (blog). The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ^ Shear, Michael D. (September 5, 2011). "Ed Rollins Steps Down as Bachmann Campaign Chief". The New York Times.
- ^ http://politics.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474980182548[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Rival pro-Trump super PACs fight for GOP cash with little success". Los Angeles Times. July 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
- ^ Kulat, Cathi (January 30, 2020). "Why pro-Trump 'rubes' will win again in 2020". The Hill. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- ^ "Super PACs Backing Donald Trump Struggle to Gain Support, Traction". NBC News. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
- ^ Ballhaus, Rebecca (June 7, 2016). "Who's Who: Meet the Super PACs Backing Donald Trump". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
- ^ Arnsdorf, Isaac. "Great America PAC still struggling to attract major donors". Politico. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- ^ DelReal, Jose. "Trump campaign disavows pro-Trump super PAC". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Why are super PACs and other outside groups spending so little this cycle?". OpenSecrets. October 8, 2019.
- ^ Murray, Stephanie. "Retirements and redistricting spawn congressional shakeup". Politico. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
- ^ Murray, Stephanie. "Retirements and redistricting spawn congressional shakeup". Politico. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
- ^ Lucas, Fred (May 23, 2022). "Ready for Ron PAC urges DeSantis to run for president in 2024". Fox News. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ Ogles, Jacob (December 8, 2022). "Former Ronald Reagan campaign manager wants voters ready for Ron DeSantis". Florida Politics. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ "Shari Scharfer, Ed Rollins". The New York Times. November 16, 2003. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
External links
- Profile at SourceWatch
- Boogie Man:The Lee Atwater Story film trailer and reviews
- Appearances on C-SPAN