Cross Settles in as PA Dems Exec Director

Elena Cross
Elena Cross

Being loud is the Pa. Democratic Party’s job description. Loud about Gov. Tom Corbett, loud about the GOP-controlled legislature and more.

But when it comes to staff changes, the party tends to be quiet. In the past months, as well-funded gubernatorial campaigns have scooped up available operatives, the Pa. Dems worked to keep in place much of its staff from the 2012 cycle and replace those who left.

State College native Elena Cross, 27, took the reigns of the state party as its Executive Director in March.

“We have a chance here to break the cycle, and that’s what I’m focused on,” she said. Pa. has cycled between Democratic and Republican governors every 8 years since the dawn of the postwar era.

Her predecessor, Kevin Washo, held the position from 2010 to 2012 and has taken a position with the consulting firm New Partners. Mary Isenhour held the post during Gov. Ed Rendell’s tenure. She co-founded a consulting firm and currently advises Tom Wolf, the former Pa. Revenue Secretary who is running for governor.

“It’s been smooth sailing as far as the transition,” Cross said. She served a few months as ED on an interim basis and became permanent in May.

She worked last cycle as the party’s Political and Targeting Director. In 2010 she was a regional director for the House Democratic Campaign Committee; she managed a 2009 state Senate special election in Schuylkill County; and worked for PA-5 congressional hopeful Bill Cahir in 2008. Prior to graduating from Penn State in 2008, she worked briefly on John Edwards’ presidential campaign in New Hampshire.

Her speciality is data-based campaigning. She was profiled in Slate last year when she directed the party’s effort to obtain drivers licenses for Democratic voters who would have affected by the new voter ID requirement (which was later blocked by a state judge). Her efforts earned her a spot on PoliticsPA’s list of Rising Stars: 30 Under 30.

Now, she oversees a shop that is one of the most active – and loudest – in all 50 states. They interact with the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Governors Association daily.

“It’s no secret we’re communications and research based. We’re one of the most research-focused state parties in the country,” she said. “We’re going to keep on building our data infrastructure.”

Finance Director

When Allyson Schwartz hired the state party’s Finance Director Aubrey Montgomery in December, it kicked off the speculation that culminated in the Congresswoman’s bid for Governor.

Her successor is Dylan Gaffney, 28, who spent the latter part of the 2012 campaign cycle raising money for Manan Trivedi. Trivedi brought in $1.3 million in his challenge to Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Chester).

The Ohio native raised money for Florida Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Kendrick Meek in 2010, and worked at a DC consulting firm and for House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer’s campaign in 2011.

Party Chairman Jim Burn and the party staffed helped boost each statewide Democrat to victory in 2012, plus picked up three state Senate seats. The party fell flat in the state House, gaining no seats, and lost a member of the congressional delegation in Rep. Mark Critz.

Burn’s term lasts into mid-2014.

4 Responses

  1. Dear Reasonable Rep: Sorry to have offended you. If you work for one of the Knights of the Corbett Round Table, then please get me my job interview with Mr. Brabender. I dreadfully desire to be a virtual Knight like Ron Tomalis. This will simplify things as only the MAN himself or PAGOP Chair Gleason are permitted to make embarassing comments. My apologies again!

  2. It’s sad that you can read the article, still call her Chair Cross in your comment, and think she does the same thing as Chairman Gleason. You blame liberal teachers’ unions for your poor standardized test results, don’t you?

  3. Dear PAINDY1/SOUL-MLK-2014/Whatever Other ALL CAPS Name You Might Use,

    Stop spamming the comments section. Please.

    Signed,
    PoliticsPA Readers

  4. Does she have the chops to go 15 rounds with PAGOP Chair Rob Gleason, their #1 RACE HUSTLER? Chair Gleason is an aged white male, but he is a wily coyote (although an albino one). Since Chair Cross is from State College, maybe she can help Chairman Gleason locate Ray Gricar’s remains. Ms. Cross: Does your data find invasive ultrasounds a winning issue?

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