Books

David Pepper is a lawyer, writer, political activist, former elected official, and adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law where he teaches election and voting rights. Previously, he served as a councilman for the city of Cincinnati, a member of the Hamilton County, Ohio Board of Commissioners, and the Chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party from 2015 to 2021. David is a strong advocate for voter rights and has engaged in numerous fights and extensive litigation involving voter suppression and election laws. He recently released his sixth book and fourth novel, The Fifth Vote. This week, we asked him 7 questions.

Susan Markham is a partner and co-founder of Smash Strategies. Previously, she served as Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), director of Women's Political Participation at the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and a senior strategist here at The Campaign Workshop. Susan is a passionate advocate for gender equality and female empowerment, and advocates for the critical role that women play in politics and development. She also just recently released her new book Feminist Foreign Policy in Theory and in Practice. This week, we asked her 7 questions about her work and career path.

You can also listen to this interview with Susan Markham on the How to Win a Campaign podcast. 

Summer is a time for rest, relaxation, and yes, reading! Summer may be ending but check out the top 2023 reading recommendations from The Campaign Workshop Staff. Check out our staff’s picks for the best books of their 2023 summer!

David is a lawyer, writer, political activist, former elected official, and adjunct professor. He served as the Chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party between 2015 and 2021. David was born and raised in Cincinnati and served on the Cincinnati City Council and Hamilton County Commission before being elected chair of the Ohio Democratic Party in 2014.

Dana Milbank is an op-ed columnist for The Washington Post. In addition to writing for The Washington Post, Dana provides political commentary for multiple TV outlets and has authored three books on politics. He just released his most recent book, The Destructionists: The 25-Year Crackup of the Republican Party, where he analyzes Republican efforts to hold on to political power by any means necessary.

Gigi Georges, a Brooklyn native who now splits her time between New Hampshire and Downeast Maine, wrote her first book after an extensive career in politics, public service, and academia. A former White House special assistant to President Bill Clinton and State Director for Senator Hillary Clinton, Georges has taught political science at Boston College, been a program director at the Harvard Kennedy School, and served as a managing director for the Glover Park Group.

Julie Rodgers is a writer, speaker, and leader in the movement toward full inclusion for LGBTQ people in Christian communities. Rodgers has been featured in Pray Away, a documentary about the “pray the gay away” movement, where she talks about her experience as a survivor of conversion therapy.

Delegate Danica Roem serves as delegate for Virginia House District 13. Roem served as the first openly transgender in any U.S. state legislature. With a background in journalism and a passion for improving citizens quality of life, Danica was inspired to help solve the issues which she reported on everyday throughout her journalism career.

Looking for summer reading suggestions? Whether you are gearing up for an advocacy campaign, in need of communication tips for your current campaign, or deciding whether to run for office, our eBook collection provides comprehensive guides to help you achieve your goals. Download our eBooks today for campaign and advocacy tips and tricks that suit your needs.

Hal Malchow is the former Chairman of MSHC partners, which was a political consulting firm that pioneered the use of statistical modeling and control group experiments in politics. His work in changing campaign politics is chronicled in Sasha Issenberg’s 2011 book, The Victory Lab, The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns.

Chuck Rocha has been doing ground-breaking work from the start. At 29, he was the first person of color named National Political Director of the United Steelworkers of America (USW). In 2010, Rocha left USW and founded Solidarity Strategies, a Latino-owned and operated political consulting firm. In 2016 and 2020, he worked for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, acting as a senior advisor for the 2020 campaign.

Lincoln Mitchell is a political analyst and writer based in New York and San Francisco. In his book, San Francisco Year Zero: Political Upheaval, Punk Rock and a Third Place Baseball Team, Mitchell explores how San Francisco became a city of contradictions as one of the most socially liberal cities with some of the worst income inequality in the United States.