Mark Squier is an American strategic advisor and media consultant who has worked for Democratic candidates including Howard Dean, Ann Richards, and Robert Weygand. He is a founding partner of the media consulting firm McMahon Squier and Associates and is also a founding partner of Purple Strategies, a bipartisan communications firm.

Mark Squier
OccupationMedia consultant
Employer(s)Purple Strategies
McMahon Squier and Associates
Known forPrincipal partner at Purple Strategies

Early life

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Mark Squier is the son of media consultant Bob Squier. As a teenager, Squier was introduced to his father's profession when he was hired by his father to carry and transport camera equipment for various political campaigns.[1]

Career

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Early political work

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In 1978, Squier worked with his father on Bob Graham's campaign for governor of Florida[1] and was later hired as lead producer at Squier/Eskew Communications, a firm his father helped found.[2] During his time with his father's firm, Squier produced advertisements for local and national candidates including former Texas Governor Ann Richards,[3] then-Tennessee Senator Al Gore,[4] Iowa Senator Tom Harkin[5] and Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman.[2]

McMahon Squier and Associates

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In 1991, Squier left Squier/Eskew Communications and co-founded Trippi McMahon and Squier, a media consulting firm, with Steve McMahon and Joe Trippi. The firm worked on local, national, and international political campaigns including that of Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou in 1993.[6][7] Three years later, the firm produced advertisements for the senatorial campaigns of Ron Wyden of Oregon, Mark Warner of Virginia, and John Kitzhaber's campaign for governor of Oregon.[6][8] Also in 1996, Squier worked with Robert Weygand on his successful congressional primary campaign against fellow Democrat Joe Paolino, who had hired Squier's father Bob Squier as a media consultant.[1][9]

Squier's firm also worked with John Baldacci, including producing advertisements for his 2002 campaign for governor of Maine.[10] In 2004, Squier, along with his partner McMahon, were hired as senior political strategists for former Vermont Governor Howard Dean's presidential campaign.[11] The same year, the Media Fund hired Squier's firm to be its lead advertising agency.[11] Two years later, the firm developed advertisements for John Sarbanes' congressional campaign in Maryland.[12]

During the mid-2000s, Squier's firm changed names several times. In 2004, Joe Trippi left the firm, which was then renamed McMahon Squier and Associates.[13][14] From 2007 to 2008, John Lapp joined the firm as a partner and the firm's name was changed to McMahon Squier Lapp and Associates.[15] Following Lapp's departure, the firm returned to the name McMahon Squier and Associates.[16]

Other clients of Squier's firm include the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in both 2006 and 2008,[17] and the House Majority Super PAC in 2012.[18]

Purple Strategies

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In 2008, Squier became a founding partner at Purple Strategies, a bipartisan communications firm located in Alexandria, Virginia. Other founding partners include Alex Castellanos, Bruce Haynes, and Steve McMahon.[19][20] Current and former Purple Strategies clients include BP, Time Warner Cable, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and the United States Chamber of Commerce.[21][22]

Other activities

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Squier received his master's degree in film from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. His thesis film, "The Blue Men", was the recipient of an Emmy and a Student Academy Award in 1990.[23][24][25]

Squier was a co-executive producer of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.[26]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Shane D'Aprile (22 April 2010). "All in the Family". Campaigns & Elections. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  2. ^ a b "DNCC names executive producers for 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver". American Chronicle. 2 November 2007. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  3. ^ Robin Toner (11 April 1990). "Bitter Race in Texas Ends With Richards As Democrats' Pick". New York Times. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  4. ^ Jerry Hagstrom (20 October 1990). "Spreading the Load". The National Journal. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  5. ^ Jack Germond; Jules Witcover (13 September 1991). "Tom Harkin: working with working men and women On Politics Today". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  6. ^ a b Dennis W Johnson (2001). No Place for Amateurs: How Political Consultants are Reshaping American Democracy. New York: Routledge. p. 265. ISBN 0415957877. Retrieved 9 April 2013. Squier.
  7. ^ "Pins needling Dems popular with GOP crowd". Boston Herald. 15 May 1994. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  8. ^ "Political Ads". National Journal. 10 April 1998. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  9. ^ Ian Donnis (20 May 2010). "Costantino adds staff for mayoral run". Rhode Island's NPR. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  10. ^ "Ad Watch John Baldacci". Sun Journal. 9 September 2002. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  11. ^ a b Josh Kurtz (9 September 2004). "Media Fund's Media Firm". Roll Call. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  12. ^ "What's Your Name? Who's Your Daddy?". The National Journal. 16 August 2006. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  13. ^ "People". National Journal. 12 May 2004. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  14. ^ Eliza Newlin (31 August 1991). "Washington's Movers and Shakers". National Journal. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  15. ^ "Career Track; Lapp dances with McMahon and Squire". National Journal. 4 January 2007. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  16. ^ Chris Cillizza; Perry Bacon Jr. (19 January 2009). "2010: The Year of the Obama Effect?". The Washington Post. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  17. ^ "Mark Squier". purplestrategies.com. Purple Strategies. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  18. ^ "How Much Are Super PACs Spending?". The Wall Street Journal. 2012. Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  19. ^ Mary Lu Carnevale (21 January 2009). "New Lobby Shop Sees Gold in Going Purple". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  20. ^ Mike Allen (18 July 2011). "Rob Collins, Jim Jordan join Purple Strategies". Politico. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  21. ^ "In Negotiations, Corporate Antagonism Goes Public". New York Times. 25 October 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  22. ^ "Washington PR firms cashing in on BP spill". The Washington Post. 4 June 2010. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  23. ^ Stephanie Gutmann (28 August 1990). "Focus Awards Will Honor Student Films". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  24. ^ John McCaslin (26 August 2008). "Inside the Beltway". The Washington Times. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  25. ^ "Student Film Award Winners" (PDF). oscars.org. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  26. ^ Chuck Plunkett (30 October 2007). "Two veteran producers hired to stage '08 DNC". The Denver Post. Retrieved 7 May 2013.