| Each election cycle, Capitol Inside reports on the top political consultants in the state of Texas -- based on who works on which races, the number of their candidates that won, etc. This year, the "Most Valuable Consultant" was James Aldrete of Message, Audience, & Presentation. From Capitol Inside (subscription required): Aldrete, who leads the firm Message Audience & Presentation, provided expertise on Latino television and radio advertising for Barack Obama's winning campaign for president. Aldrete performed the same basic task for U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez's successful re-election bid. While Adrete's clients fell short in two longshot state Supreme Court races and an uphill battle for Congress, he and his colleagues at MAP ran the table on the critical Texas House battlefield with victories by more than a handful of candidates including Diana Maldonado of Round Rock and Robert Miklos of Mesquite, who defied the odds by winning seats that had belonged to the GOP in Republican districts until now.
For more of the rankings, visit Capitol Inside. Six years ago this December, James offered me a part-time work as an intern for MAP. It was my first job in politics (I was 18 and a freshman at UT-Austin), and he made it meaningful. To this day, I look back at my two years working at MAP as some of the best experiences -- political or otherwise -- of my life. It's great to see them get the recognition they so richly deserve. From the cold winter of Boston, I raise my Tecate to James & the whole MAP team. Looking forward to seeing you all back in Austin over the Christmas break! |
