From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nick Ayers
Nick Ayers
James Nicholas (Nick) Ayers (born 1982) is a political In 2007, he was named to head the RGA.[4] At this
strategist and the former campaign manager for Tim point, Perdue was serving a one-year stint as RGA Chair-
Pawlenty’s 2012 Presidential Campaign.[1] Previously, he man. Ayers and his longtime Georgia associate, Paul Ben-
served as executive director of the Republican Governors necke (just named RGA’s Political Director) proposed an
Association from January 2007 to January 2011.[2] unprecedented four-year plan to professionalize the
In November 2010, Ayers was identified as a potential committee’s operation and implement a long-range
replacement for Michael Steele’s position as chair of the strategy, leading up to the 2010 midterm elections, when
Republican National Committee.[2] However, he declined 37 Governors would be elected. Ayers’s plan was accepted
to run, and in January 2011 was named to head the tran- by the Governors, and he and Bennecke served through
sition team for newly elected RNC Chair Reince Priebus, four gubernatorial cycles encompassing all 50 states.[15]
together with former RNC Chair Ed Gillespie.[3] When Ayers began at RGA, Republicans were reeling
Early life and education from a terrible 2006 cycle, and held only 22 statehouses.
A native of the U.S. state of Georgia (he grew up in When Ayers left in early 2011, the GOP held 29 Governor-
Austell and Mableton, in southern Cobb County),[4][5] Ay- ships, a net gain of seven (including Ohio, Michigan, New
ers was raised by parents who voted for Bill Clinton and Jersey, Wisconsin and Virginia).
H. Ross Perot in 1992. Ayers told The New Republic that Ayers lives in Atlanta with his wife Jamie (Floyd),
back then, he was "high on" Clinton and then-Gov. Zell from Houston County, Ga. They were married in May
Miller, a Democrat. Later, he worked at a bank owned by 2005; Mrs. Ayers, herself a political fundraiser and CEO of
the family of a more liberal Democratic Governor, Roy The Jamieson Group, Inc., is a second cousin of Gov. Per-
Barnes.[6] due.[4][5] He earned his college degree from Kennesaw in
Ayers graduated from South Cobb High School in 2009.[4] Ayers also studied International and Government
2000.[7] As a student at Kennesaw State University, Ayers Affairs at the University of Surrey at Roehampton in Lon-
joined the College Republicans, becoming president of don.[16]
the school’s chapter. During this time, he met Sonny Per-
due, then a Republican state senator planning to run for
Governor. Ayers joined Perdue’s campaign, which was
References
successful in unseating Democratic incumbent Roy [1] Fabian, Jordan (11 April 2011). Pawlenty Taps
Barnes, making Perdue the first Republican Governor of Campaign Manager., The Hill, Retrieved April 11,
Georgia since since Reconstruction.[8] [4][9][10] 2011
Career as a political operative [2] ^ Weiner, Juli (18 November 2010). Is Heartthrob
In 2004, at age 22, he was named manager of Perdue’s Nick Ayers Man Enough to Replace Michael Steele?,
re-election committee. He was cited as one of the Repub- Vanity Fair (magazine), Retrieved November 18, 2010
lican Party’s five "fastest rising stars in the nation" by the [3] Cummings, Jeanne (28 January 2011).
Atlanta Journal Constitution along with the likes of then- http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0111/
Louisiana Congressman Bobby Jindal.[11] Two years later, 48327.html, Retrieved January 29, 2011
the Governor was re-elected by a 20-point margin in an [4] ^ Horwitz, Jason (27 April 2010). Young Nick Ayers
otherwise Democratic year, with Ayers having served as has full-grown plans for a Republican return to the
manager for the entire campaign.[12] White House, The Washington Post, Retrieved
On October 25, 2006, less than two weeks before elec- November 18, 2010
tion day, Ayers was arrested by the Georgia State Patrol [5] ^ (1 May 2006) Ayers a rising star in Ga.’s
for driving under the influence of alcohol.[13] After Ayers Republican Party, Atlanta Business Chronicle,
was named as campaign manager of former Minnesota Retrieved November 18, 2010
Governor Tim Pawlenty’s 2012 presidential campaign, [6] Silverman, Amanda, He Hasn’t Lost Anything Yet,
the Washington City Paper obtained the video from the The New Republic, 2 November 2009,
camera in the arresting state patrolman’s vehicle and re- http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/he-hasnt-
leased it to the public, stating the video shows "Ayers lost-anything-yet
failing the DWI test, as well as his classless ride to the sta- [7] Howard, Marcus E. (16 August 2010). Cobb native
tion during which he talks up his political connections becomes power player in D.C., Marietta Daily Journal,
and his abiding respect for law-enforcement." [14] Retrieved November 18, 2010
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nick Ayers
[8] Silverman, Amanada, He Hasn’t Lost Anything Yet, DWI [VIDEO], Washington Citypaper,
The New Republic, 2 November 2009, http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2011/05/
http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/he-hasnt- nick_ayers_dwi_arrest_video_pawlenty.php
lost-anything-yet [15] Silverman, Amanada, He Hasn’t Lost Anything Yet,
[9] (26 September 2010). Power Player of the Week: The New Republic, 18 May 2011,
Nick Ayers, Fox News Channel, Retrieved November http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/he-hasnt-
18, 2010 lost-anything-yet
[10] (13 January 2003). Perdue greets the people, The [16] http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Retrieved November 18, article_83638.asp
2010 ("Perdue trusted 19-year-old Nick Ayers to
keep him on schedule during the campaign. It was
a heady experience for a teenager ...")
External links
[11] http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/ • Staff bios, RGA.org
article_83638.asp Persondata
[12] (1 December 2006). Perdue campaign manager to Name Ayers, Nick
lead RGA, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Retrieved
November 18, 2010 Alternative names
[13] Pinto, Nick, Nick Ayers, Pawlenty’s new campaign Short description
manager, was charged with drunk driving in 2006, Date of birth
Washington Citypaper, 12 April 2011,
Place of birth
http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2011/04/
Date of death
nick_ayers_drunk_driving_pawlenty_campaign_manager_dwi_dui.php
[14] Pinto, Nick, Watch Nick Ayers, Tim Pawlenty’s Place of death
presidential campaign manager, get arrested for
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nick_Ayers&oldid=464348415"
Categories:
• Living people
• Kennesaw State University people
• Georgia (U.S. state) Republicans
• People from Cobb County, Georgia
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