2020 Rising Stars

Republican

Annie Kelly Kuhle

FP1 Strategies, Managing Director

Annie Kelly Kuhle is a managing director at FP1 Strategies. She has a proven track record as a campaign manager and strategist to high-profile campaigns and party committees across the country. Kuhle is currently serving as a senior advisor to Senator Martha McSally’s reelection campaign. She’s also serving as a media consultant to the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s (NRSC) IE in Iowa and to congressional candidates Lisa Scheller (PA-07), Tracey Mann (KS-01), James St. George (FL-03), and Dale Crafts (ME-02). Kuhle previously served as a regional political director at the NRSC and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). In 2014, Kuhle led the NRCC’s “Red Zone” program, which flipped five Democratic seats.

Republican

Kelly Georgia

Deep Root Analytics, VP, Data and Digital Partnerships

Kelly joined Deep Root Analytics at the start of 2018. As VP of Data and Digital Partnerships, she works to bridge the divide between television and digital targeting using best in class data solutions. Prior to joining Deep Root, Kelly worked for the Super PAC American Crossroads and its affiliated Super PAC, the Senate Leadership Fund, as well as the issue advocacy organizations Crossroads GPS and One Nation. Kelly was Deputy Political Director and Digital Director for those organizations, focusing on digital measurement and cross screen optimization.

Republican

Kelsey Patten

Echelon Insights, Vice President, Data and Analytics

Kelsey Patten leads the data analytics practice at Echelon Insights, which is pioneering a new model for political data that seamlessly ties together strategic insights from polling with analytics technology that turns data into action. Kelsey joined Echelon following a stint at the National Republican Congressional Committee. There she was the first woman to head the committee’s data department.

In the 2018 election cycle, Patten led a team that created over 1,000 voter contact universes and over 200 unique district vote goals, analyzed 262 polls, and drafted over 50 modeling scripts for specific districts. Patten successfully collaborated with campaigns to design data-informed voter contact plans across field, mail, and digital. In 2016, Patten served as Data and Analytics Director for Senator Kelly Ayotte’s re-election effort in New Hampshire. Patten spearheaded all voter targeting totaling nearly 130 million targeted impressions on TV and online, and 1.3 million voter contacts.

Republican

Krista Carter

TAG Strategies, Accounts Director

Krista Carter serves as the Accounts Director at TAG Strategies, finding creative solutions to guarantee our clients have the most successful digital marketing programs and lead the field in fundraising. Since childhood, Krista has been active in local and state politics in her home state of Louisiana. The proud Louisiana Tech University alum has served in Republican politics at every level, finding a niche for online fundraising and email marketing. She served on Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign as a Regional Political Director in North Carolina, Ken Cuccinelli’s Virginia gubernatorial run in 2013 as a Regional Director, and Finance Director for Rob Maness for U.S. Senate in 2014. Throughout the last two election cycles, Krista has raised millions of dollars digitally for clients around the country. As a recognized industry expert, Krista has served in numerous senior positions teaching clients to grow and optimize their email marketing and donor programs, helping them reach their goals.

Republican

Lauren Bryan

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, National Finance Adviser

Lauren Bryan is a nationally respected fundraiser with extensive experience at the RNC, RGA, NRSC, and NRCC. She currently serves as National Finance Adviser for Kevin McCarthy. In that role, she heads up the Republican House Leader’s record-breaking fundraising efforts: $33.5 million in just the first half of 2020 and more than $82 million in the 2020 cycle. In addition to managing his campaign fundraising, Lauren aids fellow members of the GOP caucus and the NRCC. Lauren also serves as a consultant to the Congressional Leadership Fund.

Before joining McCarthy’s team, Lauren served as a Regional Finance Director for the NRSC and prior to that, she was instrumental in shattering Super PAC fundraising records with funds raised in excess of $100 million as Regional Finance Director for Right to Rise. She then transitioned to the Jeb 2016 presidential campaign covering the Western Region. In the 2014 cycle, Lauren worked alongside 34 winning gubernatorial campaigns, serving as the Deputy Director of Recruitment at the RGA and helping raise more than $110 million.

Republican

Nicole Fryling

Go BIG Media, Senior Director of Graphic Design

Nicole Fryling knows what it’s like to do high-volume creative work under pressure. Over the past two cycles, she’s designed for a wide variety of campaigns ranging from gubernatorial contests and competitive Senate seats to small-town sheriff races. With her extensive background in public relations, logo creation and branding, Nicole focuses on designing for a candidate’s audience in a way that’s both memorable and effective. Since joining Go BIG Media, she has made it her mission to prove that design not only matters in campaigns, but it can also make the difference between a message resonating with an audience or falling flat. She’s currently Senior Director of Graphic Design, overseeing a team of passionate designers who are encouraged to take the lead projects and to bend the rules of traditional design.

Republican

Rory McShane

McShane LLC, Founder

Rory McShane is a political and media consultant originally from Maryland. Rory has managed or advised political campaigns, corporations, and initiatives in twenty-seven states. Rory’s political clients have included members of Congress, statewide constitutional officers, state legislators, county and municipal officials, political action committees, and multiple successful ballot initiatives. In 2016, Rory was part of a successful effort to change the state constitutions of Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota to provide more rights to victims of violent crimes. And in 2018, Rory’s firm, McShane LLC, brought home 22 victories, with political clients in 10 states.