Name: Erin Perrine
Hometown: Rochester, N.Y.
Position: Press secretary for House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
Age: 29
Alma Mater: University of Connecticut
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Washington Examiner: Describe what you do and your responsibilities.
Perrine: Generally speaking, I handle all things related to press for Kevin, including booking, pitching, and prep that goes into anything like that. I do a lot of [House] floor-focused things — I send out the daily schedule and the weekly schedule. I do the weekly guidance email that kind of helps people figure out what’s happening on the floor and in committee. I work closely with our committees, communications with them on things they have coming to the floor or hearings they have going on. I just support Kevin as best I can in a communications/press way with the committees and the floor because that’s the focus of what he does.
Washington Examiner: What’s the focus of the press office and Leader McCarthy?
Perrine: The focus is helping our members and committees communicate what we’ve done in the 115th Congress and tie that into what we’re going to be able to get done before the election. … It’s really hard to break through the noise sometimes in the media, and our focus is to help our members and our committees break through the noise to talk about all the hard work we do. We’ve got great work going on down at the committee level and on the floor, and our focus is making sure that we get that story out there.
Washington Examiner: How did you end up on Capitol Hill and with Leader McCarthy?
Perrine: It’s a weird story. I’d done campaigns and decided I wanted to move to D.C. after doing those for a few years. I was working at a voter contact firm and was teaching horseback riding lessons on the weekends. I’d been teaching for about a year when one of my students who works in the Senate — she knew I was looking for a new opportunity — approached me saying that the Senate Conference was looking for an internal communications adviser and was wondering if I was interested in putting my resume in. I said, “Sure, why not.” I put my resume in with AshLee Strong, and I got that job … and that turned into the press secretary job.
I’d been with Sen. [John] Thune for about three years at that time, and my bosses approached me and said that McCarthy was looking for a press secretary, and I was really supported in applying for the job here with Kevin. … I’ve been with Kevin for a little less than a year now.
Washington Examiner: Compare and contrast working for Sen. Thune and McCarthy.
Perrine: If you’re going to leave John Thune, Kevin McCarthy is not a bad place to go. They are both incredible members to work for. Sen. Thune is one of the most upstanding individuals I have ever met in my life, let alone had the privilege to work for. He is smart and kind and driven, and he cares about his staff. He is just a great person. Kevin is the same way. Kevin is very smart. He is an incredible people person … Kevin can go anywhere and make a friend.
Washington Examiner: What’s a more tortured lifestyle: Being a professional in politics or being a Buffalo Bills fan?
Perrine: Neither are a tortured existence. I choose this as my career because I love it. Also, I’m a Bills fan because I root for the only team that plays in the great state of New York. I am not a New Jersey Jets or New Jersey Giants fan. I am a New York Buffalo Bills fan. Is it easy loving the Bills every day? No. But like everything worth loving, you dedicate it, and you wake up every morning saying, “I choose to love the Bills.” … We made the playoffs this year. I got Kevin to give the Buffalo Bills a shout-out that Sunday during a Sunday show interview. It’s my career highlight.
