Tom Steyer’s presidential campaign hired the man who led President Barack Obama’s “secret weapon” delegate strategy, suggesting that Steyer is eyeing a long, drawn-out primary process.
Jeff Berman has two victorious Democratic presidential primary campaigns under his belt, having been a strategist for Obama in 2008 and Hillary Clinton in 2016. He wrote a book on the delegate strategy that helped Obama secure the nomination in a tight battle against Clinton in 2008.
“Jeff is an instrumental force in presidential delegate strategy, and our campaign is very excited and fortunate to have him join our team,” Steyer campaign manager Heather Hargreaves said Friday. “I look forward to working with him as we build our campaign to win the 2020 nomination.”
Berman most recently worked for former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke‘s presidential campaign. Berman’s firm received $46,720 from O’Rourke’s campaign from May through August, according to Federal Election Commissions filings.
An expert’s grasp on the complicated rules and mechanics for the selection of delegates, who vote for a presidential nominee at the Democratic National Convention, could be crucial for candidates’ success in a crowded Democratic primary field heading into a volatile period of state nominating contests.
The hire suggests that Steyer, a billionaire hedge fund manager turned political activist who is largely self-funding his presidential campaign, is preparing for a primary season with clear front-runners after the first four contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina, making collection of delegates a critical component of the primary campaign strategy.
A challenge for Steyer’s delegate strategy is that candidates who do not meet 15% support in caucus or primary voting along district or state lines will not receive any delegates. He sits at 1.6% in RealClearPolitics‘ average of primary polls and rarely breaks out of the mid-single digits in state polls.
Steyer’s estimated $1.6 billion fortune allows him to spend much more on ads than most of his primary competitors, peeving his rivals. Fellow billionaire and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, however, has already far surpassed Steyer’s ad spending since launching his presidential campaign in November, eyeing a strategy focused on mass national appeal rather than performing well in early voting states.
“Tom is an accomplished business leader, committed to growing the economy while protecting our climate and ensuring that prosperity is shared by all Americans,” Berman said Friday. “As Tom campaigns on these powerful themes in the new year, voters and delegates will see him as the best candidate to take on Trump and beat him.”
[Also read: Tom Steyer spends almost $100 million on ads but people still confuse him with Steve Bullock]
