Katie Merrill

Founder & President

Katie Merrill is the founder and president of The Merrill Strategy Group, a California-based political consulting firm.  Over the course of her 15-year career, Merrill has advised Democratic campaigns for Governor, U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, state legislative candidates and statewide initiative campaigns, Democratic organizations and environmental, labor, and other public advocacy groups.  Her work has included overseeing and implementing all aspects of campaign strategy, including research and message development, press relations, direct mail and phones, internet and mobile media outreach, event production, political and field organizing, and radio and television advertising strategy and development.
 
Merrill was a senior strategist for U. S. Senator Barbara Boxer's successful reelection effort in 2004 and for Phil Angelides' gubernatorial run in 2006.  She ran the day-to-day statewide campaign as the California Director for Bill Bradley for President in 2000, overseeing all aspects of the campaign including the statewide communications operation.  While working at Kaufman Campaign Consultants, she played a key role in the successful No on 38/No on School Vouchers initiative campaign in California in 2000, overseeing the direct mail plan and production for 2.5 million absentee voters and communication to Latino and African-American voters.  

Merrill managed businesswoman Ellen Tauscher's campaign in 1996, winning a dramatic upset over a Republican incumbent.  After the campaign, she joined Congresswoman Tauscher on Capitol Hill as her Chief of Staff, managing her Washington and California operations until 1999.

Merrill began her career as a grassroots organizer for Senator Boxer's groundbreaking U.S. Senate campaign in 1992.  She is a graduate of Amherst College and lives near Berkeley, California.