Domestic Policy Caucus Priorities

Pat is a nationally recognized figure in the world of public affairs, market research, and public relations. He began his career on the Forbes for President campaign. In his two decades of senior-level public affairs work, he has worked with political leaders to realign Congress and state legislatures for conservative and Republican candidates and issues. As chairman of the Trade Alliance to Promote Prosperity he has engaged on the ratification of global trade agreements that put American workers, job creators, and innovators first. He also directed grassroots efforts across the West and Midwest to garner Senate support for U.S. Supreme Court candidates John Roberts and Samuel Alito.

Kent has more than 25 years of experience in public affairs, marketing communications, and public relations. Formerly the communications and voter outreach director for the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Kent is an expert on election administration. He has won multiple awards from the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators. He currently serves as advisor to Students for a Conservative Voice, which publishes the Minnesota Republic newspaper, at the University of Minnesota. With a doctorate in mass communication with a kinesiology minor, Kent is a feminist scholar whose dissertation and published research have focused on the intersection of Title IX and media (under-)representation of women in sports and on differences in how men and women communicate in the context of sport.  

John serves as Director of Public Affairs at the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, advocating for over 1,200 member businesses. He is also a member of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus. He is an experienced, small “c” conservative public affairs professional. He has served in various political and policy capacities for the Wisconsin GOP, the Wisconsin State Senate, and the Committee to Reelect a Republican Senate (CERS). He has ghost-written nationally published pieces for stalwart conservatives that have appeared in the nation’s most read political publications, including The Hill. Limited government, personal responsibility, private property rights and the rule of law are at the very core of John’s belief system. He always has within reach a Cato Institute pocket edition of the United States Constitution and a book of quotes from Winston Spencer Churchill.

Christopher Thrasher, J.D. – Regional Director

Christopher is an independent public policy advocate with a nearly 20-year record of building diverse coalitions across the ideological spectrum for political campaigns, ballot initiatives, and grassroots community organizing efforts. He has served as senior staff for eight presidential campaigns, countless lobbying projects, and multiple nonprofit government reform organizations. Christopher lives in Westport, Massachusetts, and is an active member of the South Coast community. He serves as a member of numerous town government committees and as an elected commissioner of public trust funds for the Town of Westport. In addition to his advocacy for sound public policy, Christopher is an expert in the field of presidential ballot access for independent and third-party candidates.