Press

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is playing offense by putting early pressure on Senate Democrats running for reelection in red states to back proposals being passed out of the GOP-controlled House. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) must decide how much political cover to give members of his caucus running for reelection in states such as West Virginia, Montana and Ohio, with control of the chamber on the line in 2024. 

Schumer has taken shots at McCarthy and House Republicans in recent days, accusing them of pushing an “extreme” agenda, but McCarthy is punching back, hitting Democrats in states that former President Trump carried in 2016 and 2020. 

ROKK co-founding partner Ron Bonjean spoke to The Hill on how McCarthy’s moves will now help “define the national media environment” heading into the 2024 election. Get the full story here.  

Erickson Foster, ROKK’s very own Multimedia Designer, is one of the few creatives in the campaign and advocacy industry with a military background. A self-taught designer, Erickson started his career as an active-duty service member on the U.S. Army Operations Center Crisis Team. 

Erickson recently sat down with Campaigns & Elections’ Sean Miller and shared his insights on website design trends, advocacy design, and how his military background informs his current work. Read the full piece here.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) are set to test each other’s mettle as they battle over the debt limit, government funding and the 2024 election. The two leaders don’t have much of a personal relationship, according to congressional aides and strategists, and their working relationship is off to a rocky start, with Schumer accusing McCarthy and his House GOP colleagues of pushing an “extreme” agenda that would undercut women’s health care and cut Medicare and Social Security benefits.  

Despite the shots, Schumer is hoping to develop enough rapport with McCarthy to avoid a government shutdown and to pass a debt ceiling hike that would prevent a downgrading of the nation’s credit rating — or worse.

ROKK co-founding partner Rodell Mollineau shared his thoughts with The Hill on the situation and spoke on what this means for the Democratic party, here.

Democrats are increasingly worried that the controversy surrounding the classified documents found at President Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware home and at his former office will loom large over his expected reelection campaign. While Democrats say they remain confident that Biden can overcome the problem, they say the disclosure of numerous batches of classified documents complicates matters for the president ahead of his campaign launch.  

It also gives Republicans a leg up by complicating Democratic attacks on former President Trump over the FBI’s search of his Florida residence, where classified documents were seized in August 2022. 

ROKK co-founder and partner Rodell Mollineau took to The Hill to explain that the situations of former President Trump and President Biden are dramatically different. Read his thoughts here.

In the final hours leading up to Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s election to the position of Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, ROKK Co-Founder and Partner Ron Bonjean sat down with ABC News and discussed what the situation regarding the nomination means for Kevin McCarthy and the Republicans. Watch the first segment now and continue watching here.

The tumultuous, protracted speaker debate has offered a rare opportunity for brand-new and lesser-known lawmakers to highlight their biographies and display oratory gravitas. And they’re doing it in a room packed with colleagues — after an end to proxy voting — and before a national audience. The speeches have fueled speculation about future leadership ambitions and runs for Senate and have given the GOP a chance to spotlight the emerging diversity in its ranks. 

ROKK co-founding partner Ron Bonjean spoke with Roll Call on why the nominating speeches give a real opportunity to showcase one’s potential star power, here.

A faction of House Republicans who have spent days blocking Rep. Kevin McCarthy from gaining the speaker’s gavel is facing intense arm-twisting in Washington from their own party, but its members are unlikely to encounter much pressure back home.

Mr. McCarthy’s opponents—about 20 House members—exposed divisions in the GOP between mainstream leaders seeking to gain the reins of power in Washington and those in the party who want power to be less concentrated. The holdouts have made various demands related to committee assignments, chamber rules and desired issue votes. 

ROKK co-founding partner Ron Bonjean spoke with the Wall Street Journal on why the Republican holdouts are unlikely to face political blowback for their actions back home, here.

As we enter the 23rd year of this once-new millennium, consultants have a good feeling about where we’re heading over the next twelve months. Many things have imploded in 2022, so much so that it’s created a need for new learning, reputation protection and ways to safely communicate.

Sean Miller from Campaigns & Elections asked Genevieve Wilkins, Senior Vice President of Creative at ROKK, to get out her crystal ball and share her predictions for 2023. Read her thoughts here.

In 2022, ROKK Solutions partnered with Penn State’s Center for the Business of Sustainability on a survey for over 1,200 voters. The question? What are your thoughts on investments in ESG and “corporate wokeness”.

ROKK Managing Director Lindsay Singleton dove into the findings and more in Fortune.

Also, don’t forget to check out the full ESG report, “Navigating ESG in the New Congress”, here.

A new year brings a new agenda for President Joe Biden. What’s on the list in 2023? With a new found Democratic minority in the House and a fractured 51-seat Senate majority, Biden may have a bigger fight to fulfill remaining campaign promises.

ROKK co-founder and partner Ron Bonjean spoke with USA Today on what a Congressional 2023 could look for the President and fellow Democrats.

Read more in USA Today.