Mark Harris, co-founder of ColdSpark strategies, was the General Consultant for the successful Dave McCormick 2024 Pennsylvania Senate race - arguably the lone true upset of the '24 Senate cycle. In this conversation, Mark talks his roots in PA politics - including running for office himself, ousting a sitting legislator in a GOP primary, and multiple stints helping elect and re-elect GOP Senator Pat Toomey. Then Mark goes deep on his role helping elect Dave McCormick to the US Senate - starting with McCormick's ill-fated '22 race...getting back on the horse in '24...clearing the GOP field...challenging a proven Pennsylvania political institution...and ultimately winning a close race many pundits expected to break toward the Democratic incumbent.
IN THIS EPISODE
Mark's roots in Pittsburgh & why he ran for office when he was 22...
Why running Pat Toomey's 2010 Senate race was Mark's "dream job"...
Mark's front row seat to the tumultuous period of PA politics around veteran Senator Arlen Specter's 2009 switch from Republican to Democrat...
Mark weighs in on how PA politics has transformed over the past 20 years...
Mark's insight on how Pat Toomey won two tough Senate races, despite a non-traditional background for PA politics...
How Mark and his firm initially connected with Dave McCormick in his first Senate race in 2022...
How Mark was viewing the '24 race against Bob Casey over a year out...
How the McCormick campaign navigated a Trump endorsement and cleared the GOP primary field...
Mark's best practices on how GOP candidates should pursue a Trump endorsement...
The headwinds of running against Senator Bob Casey...
The appealing personal bio that McCormick brought to the race....
How late focus groups changed the McCormick closing message...
How the McCormick ad campaign departed from the traditional GOP playbook...
The voter subgroups the McCormick campaign identified as the most important...
How the McCormick campaign appealed to "soft pro choice voters" and Black and Latino men...
Why the McCormick team was one of the only GOP campaigns that preferred Dems nominate Harris instead of Biden...
Why the abortion issue didn't sink McCormick in a 60% pro-choice state...
How Mark was interpreting results coming in on Election Night...
Mark's thoughts on Democratic erosion in the Dem base in Philadelphia...
The approach Mark brings to races as a General Consultant...
Mark's views of the potential of PA Dems Josh Shapiro and John Fetterman as national candidates...
Mark's travel tips for spending a couple of days in and around Pittsburgh...
AND Lou Barletta, James Blair, Bob Brady, Bridgewater Associates, George W. Bush, Herman Cain, Susan Collins, Mike Devanney, flippant poll questions, gold watches, Orrin Hatch, Chris LaCivita, Rush Limbaugh, Katie McGinty, Zell Miller, midnight pay raises, Tim Murphy, muscle atrophy, Dr. Oz, Nancy Pelosi, Primanti Brothers, Andy Reilly, Ed Rendell, Tom Ridge, Rick Santorum, Joe Sestak, shadow primaries, Matt Smith, Tom Smith, Arlen Specter, Brad Todd, West Point, Susie Wiles...& more!
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