NH Primary Source: Sen. Amy Klobuchar staffs up in NH with three veteran political operatives

(This report is a preview of this week's New Hampshire Primary Source column, which will be posted in its entirety on WMUR.com early Thursday morning.) KLOBUCHAR STAFFING UP. Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s presidential campaign is about to have a permanent New Hampshire presence.The campaign told WMUR on Wednesday that three veterans of New Hampshire and national politics have been hired to staff her campaign in the Granite State. The campaign said her New Hampshire team “will focus on building a strong grassroots operation and talking to people across the Granite State about Amy’s optimistic economic agenda.”The staffers are:Scott Merrick, New Hampshire State Director: A native of New Hampshire, Merrick was most recently Vice President of Business Development for Athenium Analytics, a technology company based in Dover. Previously, he served as Deputy State Director for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.Merrick was also a New Hampshire House member from Coos County for five years and was an Assistant Majority Floor Leader during his time as a legislator.Sondra Milkie, New Hampshire Deputy State Director: Milkie’s background in political consulting includes a role managing a congressional race in Maryland and as a digital and direct mail consultant at firms in Washington.Previously, she spent several election cycles in her home state of Wisconsin working on local and state legislative campaigns, eventually serving as Statewide Training Director for a Wisconsin-based candidate recruitment and training organization. Milkie was also a field organizer for the Obama for America campaign in 2008.Ben Ernst, New Hampshire Political Director: Ernst was most recently the Political Director for the New Hampshire Democratic Party. In 2018, he was Campaigns Director for the New Hampshire State Senate Democratic Caucus, running its “Red to Blue” program which resulted in a Democratic majority in the Senate.Ernst also campaigned in Iowa, Nevada and Virginia for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, managed a city council race in New York and worked on several legislative races and a gubernatorial race in his native state of Virginia. (Update:) On Monday, April 22, Klobuchar announced the hiring of a fourth New Hampshire staffer, Kelsi Browning as state communications director.Klobuchar is planning a return visit to the state later this month, with details to be announced, the campaign said.Klobuchar joins Sens. Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, former U.S. Rep. John Delaney and former federal housing secretary Julian Castro in so far hiring paid staff in the first-primary state.

(This report is a preview of this week's New Hampshire Primary Source column, which will be posted in its entirety on WMUR.com early Thursday morning.)





KLOBUCHAR STAFFING UP. Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s presidential campaign is about to have a permanent New Hampshire presence.


The campaign told WMUR on Wednesday that three veterans of New Hampshire and national politics have been hired to staff her campaign in the Granite State. The campaign said her New Hampshire team “will focus on building a strong grassroots operation and talking to people across the Granite State about Amy’s optimistic economic agenda.”

The staffers are:

Scott Merrick, New Hampshire State Director: A native of New Hampshire, Merrick was most recently Vice President of Business Development for Athenium Analytics, a technology company based in Dover. Previously, he served as Deputy State Director for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

Merrick was also a New Hampshire House member from Coos County for five years and was an Assistant Majority Floor Leader during his time as a legislator.

Sondra Milkie, New Hampshire Deputy State Director: Milkie’s background in political consulting includes a role managing a congressional race in Maryland and as a digital and direct mail consultant at firms in Washington.

Previously, she spent several election cycles in her home state of Wisconsin working on local and state legislative campaigns, eventually serving as Statewide Training Director for a Wisconsin-based candidate recruitment and training organization. Milkie was also a field organizer for the Obama for America campaign in 2008.

Ben Ernst, New Hampshire Political Director: Ernst was most recently the Political Director for the New Hampshire Democratic Party. In 2018, he was Campaigns Director for the New Hampshire State Senate Democratic Caucus, running its “Red to Blue” program which resulted in a Democratic majority in the Senate.

Ernst also campaigned in Iowa, Nevada and Virginia for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, managed a city council race in New York and worked on several legislative races and a gubernatorial race in his native state of Virginia.



(Update:) On Monday, April 22, Klobuchar announced the hiring of a fourth New Hampshire staffer, Kelsi Browning as state communications director.

Klobuchar is planning a return visit to the state later this month, with details to be announced, the campaign said.

Klobuchar joins Sens. Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, former U.S. Rep. John Delaney and former federal housing secretary Julian Castro in so far hiring paid staff in the first-primary state.