2023 Pollie Conference Registration is Now Open!

After registering you’ll get access to book your hotel reservations within our discounted block of rooms at the luxurious conference host hotel, La Quinta Resort & Club. The room block will fill up quickly and our group rate of $299 will not be available after the block is full, so don’t delay!

Where: La Quinta Resort & Club, La Quinta, CA

La Quinta Resort & Club is located in the beautiful Coachella Valley, a short drive from Palm Springs.

When: April 18-20, 2023

Register now!

Interested in showcasing your company in Palm Springs? Contact Debbie Thomas to learn more about our sponsorship opportunities!

AAPC Files Comments Citing Concerns with Proposed FCC Rules on Text Messaging

November 11, 2022

CONTACT:

Robyn Matthews

Director, Advocacy and Industry Relations

703-935-2282

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

AAPC FILES COMMENTS CITING CONCERNS WITH PROPOSED FCC RULES ON TEXT MESSAGING 

AAPC Supports Industry Efforts to Target Scam and Spam Text Messaging While Protecting Political Free Speech

 

MCLEAN, VA – The American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission yesterday regarding a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Targeting and Eliminating Unlawful Text Messages. AAPC’s Comments, on behalf of its more than 1,600 bipartisan members hailing from all across the United States, oppose the proposed rules citing First Amendment concerns, authentication protocols, and the timing of implementation that could adversely impact voter contact and opinion research efforts before the 2024 Presidential cycle.

AAPC members are experts on political campaigns and are skilled in general consulting, digital campaigns, media buying, polling, data and analytics, fundraising, and campaign technology.

View AAPC’s Comments 

The FCC released the NPRM on September 27, 2022, and it was published in the Federal Register on October 11, 2022, prompting a 30-day public comment period. The FCC has until November 25, 2022, to respond to public comments.

 

About AAPC
Founded in 1969, the AAPC is a multi-partisan organization of political and public affairs professionals dedicated to improving democracy. The AAPC has over 1,500 members hailing from all corners of the globe.  It is the largest association of political and public affairs professionals in the world. For more information, see www.theaapc.org.

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The 2023 Pollie Contest is Open!

Submit your work by Dec. 15th to receive low Early Bird Entry fees at just $99! 

We can’t wait to see the amazing work you’ve produced to engage and mobilize the electorate during such a busy midterm cycle. Whether you work for a large firm or act as an individual consultant, all of your political communications work is welcome!

With our low Early Bird Entry fees, just $99 for members through December 15th, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to vie for the gold standard for excellence in political communications — the Pollie Awards!

Plus! If you produced work for local or state level campaigns this year, you’ll enjoy low entry fees at just $49 when you enter our Regional Division.

 

Questions? Contact Kourtney Colbert at  or .

AAPC Condemns Netflix Decision To Deny Access for Political Speech and the Democratic Process

October 13, 2022

CONTACT:

Alana Joyce
Executive Director
+1 703-245-8021
ajoyce@theaapc.org

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

AAPC CONDEMNS NETFLIX DECISION TO DENY ACCESS FOR POLITICAL SPEECH AND THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS

MCLEAN, VA – The American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) opposes Netflix’s decision to ban political campaign and issue ads on Netflix’s ad-supported streaming service. Streaming services have become a critical means for campaigns to reach a broad audience of voters, especially young and diverse audiences who may not access traditional forms of media.

“We condemn Netflix’s decision to not accept campaign and issue ads on their streaming service,” said Becki Donatelli, Republican consultant and President of AAPC. “Blanket political ad bans on platforms gag legitimate, fully disclosed campaign and policy advertising by lawful candidates and organizations.”

Netflix’s decision of banning political campaign and issue advertising is against free speech, a cornerstone of our democratic society. AAPC steadfastly supports the foundational principles of political free speech enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and urges full access to social media networks, email service providers, texting platforms and digital news and content publishers for all official campaigns and political and non-profit organizations.

“A blanket ban on political ads is inequitable and will make it harder for people of color and young voters to get information on candidates and issues,” said Larry Huynh, Democratic consultant and Vice President of AAPC.

AAPC believes that suppression of political advertising ultimately reduces the ability of people to participate and learn about the democratic process – including the candidates, and political organizations, and policy issues that matter to them. Suppressing advertising is restricting free speech and an official campaign’s ability to reach a broad community online.

AAPC stands ready to work with all media partners to develop strong policies to uncover and stop misinformation while protecting free speech for campaigns and issue advocacy efforts.

 

About AAPC
Founded in 1969, the AAPC is a multi-partisan organization of political and public affairs professionals dedicated to improving democracy. The AAPC has over 1,500 members hailing from all corners of the globe.  It is the largest association of political and public affairs professionals in the world. For more information, see www.theaapc.org.

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Dates Announced: Pollies 2023

POLLIES ‘23 IS THE POLITICAL CONSULTING EVENT OF THE YEAR!

Politics is a relationship business. Pollies ‘23 is designed to bring our community together to reconnect, ready ourselves for the new challenges ahead, and discussed lessons learned form the 2022 midterms. As The Political Consulting Event of the Year, the Pollies is your best opportunity to grow your skills and expand your network. No other industry event offers the same caliber of speakers, attendees, dining, adventures—and FUN. What’s more, the investment you make in attending the Pollies goes right back—to you! Not only will you enjoy a great experience, you’ll support the work of the only nonprofit Association working to advance the industry, protect your ability to do business and safeguard political free speech. Don’t miss Pollies 23, April 18-20, 2023 at the La Quinta Resort & Club in Palm Springs, California.

When: April 18-20, 2023

Where: La Quinta Resort & Club, Palm Springs, California

Registration will open in Fall of 2022. Upon registration, attendees will receive information for accessing AAPC’s discounted hotel room block at the La Quinta Resort & Club.

Learn more by clicking here.

AAPC Announces Campaign Excellence Awards for the 2021 cycle

Contact:

Alana Joyce
Executive Director
+1 703-245-8021
ajoyce@theaapc.org

 

For Immediate Release

May 18, 2022

AAPC Announces Campaign Excellence Awards for the 2021 cycle
Youngkin for Governor named Campaign of the Year and Stop the Republican Recall of Gavin Newsom named Digital Campaign of the Year

San Juan, Puerto Rico (May 18, 2022) —The American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC)—America’s largest and only bipartisan network of political professionals— today announced the winners of the AAPC Campaign Excellence Awards for exceptional work during the 2021 cycle. These awards were presented at a special ceremony in conjunction with the annual AAPC Pollie Awards & Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Campaign Excellence Awards are a longstanding tradition of the AAPC and recognize those individuals who have significantly contributed to the success of a candidate or public affairs campaign and whose conduct has been consistent with the Professional Code of Ethics of the AAPC.

“The 2022 Campaign Excellence Award winners far surpassed the high bar of scrutiny set out in our standards of judging. The effort, dedication and masterful skills these individuals employed during the 2021 campaign cycle deserves tremendous recognition, and AAPC is proud to provide just that,” said AAPC President Becki Donatelli. “It’s a privilege to celebrate these outstanding political practitioners together at the Pollie Conference,” added AAPC Vice President Larry Huynh.

“Political Marketing + Media and our affiliates PlayFly Sports and Home Team Sports would like to offer congratulations to the 2022 Campaign Excellence Award winners,” said Stephen Ullman, Managing Partner of Political Marketing + Media. “We are honored to share in their celebration at the 2022 Pollie Conference.”

AAPC Campaign Excellence Award Winners

Ballot Measure Campaign of the Year (Local): Save Austin Now – Proposition B

Ballot Measure Campaign of the Year (Statewide): Cannabis Community for Fairness and Safety (CCFS) – No on 119

Public Affairs Campaign of the Year: Every Bottle Back

Independent Expenditure Campaign of the Year: All of Mpls

Campaign Manager of the Year, Non-Statewide (Democratic): Katie Moore, Eric Adams for Mayor

Campaign Manager of the Year, Non-Statewide (Republican): Matt Brownfield, Jake Ellzey for Congress

Fundraiser of the Year (Democratic): Darren Rigger, Dynamic SRG – NYC Campaigns for Borough Presidents and Speaker

Fundraiser of the Year (Republican): Jenniffer Ortiz-Alizieri, Campaign Solutions, CDI Ads and Winning Tuesday – Larry Elder for Governor

Digital Campaign of the Year: Stop the Republican Recall of Gavin Newsom

Campaign Manager of the Year, Statewide (Democratic): Juan Rodrigiez, Stop the Republican Recall of Gavin Newsom

Campaign Manager of the Year, Statewide (Republican): Klarke Kilgore, Jason Miyares for Virginia Attorney General

Most Valuable Player of the Year (Democratic): Kendra-Sue Derby, Howard Franklin & Candice Franklin, Andre Dickens for Atlanta Mayor

 Most Valuable Player of the Year (Republican): Kristin Davison, Youngkin Campaign

Pollster of the Year (Democratic): Tulchin Research, Eric Adams for Mayor of New York City 2021

Pollster of the Year (Republican): WPAi AND Tarrance Group – Youngkin for Governor

Campaign of the Year: Youngkin for Governor

 

About the 2022 AAPC Pollie Conference

As the premier industry event, the 2022 Pollie Awards & Conference is held in San Juan, Puerto Rico from May 17-19, 2022 and brings the leading political professionals in the world together to network and hear from top technology innovators, pollsters, pundits and service providers. The Conference features cutting-edge programming on key industry trends, designed to empower attendees to leverage the latest techniques in campaign strategy and management. The Conference is widely recognized as the must-attend event for political consultants, media buyers, public affairs specialists, suppliers, industry leaders and journalists. For details, visit www.theaapc.org.

About AAPC
Founded in 1969, the AAPC is a multi-partisan organization of political and public affairs professionals dedicated to improving democracy. The AAPC has over 1,400 members hailing from all corners of the globe.  It is the largest association of political and public affairs professionals in the world. For more information, see www.theaapc.org.

About Political Marketing + Media

Founded in 2014, Political Marketing + Media specializes in matching political candidates, committees + advocacy groups with the best local, regional + national sports, news and entertainment programming and events. For more information, see politicalmarketingandmedia.com.

AAPC Announces 2022 Class of 40 Under 40 Award Winners

Contact:

Alana Joyce
Executive Director
+1 703-245-8021
ajoyce@theaapc.org

 

For Immediate Release

May 17, 2022

AAPC Announces 2022 Class of 40 Under 40 Award Winners

San Juan, Puerto Rico (May 17, 2022) —The American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC)—America’s only bipartisan association of political professionals— today announced the winners of the 2022 40 Under 40 Awards program recognizing the best and brightest young professionals working in the United States. Selected from more than 200 nominations, the winners were recognized at an awards ceremony during the 2022 Pollie Awards & Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Tuesday, May 17, 2022.

“The judging process was especially difficult this year, with such high volume of outstanding young professionals nominated. We are encouraged to see so many high achieving young politicos rise up within the industry, and salute this year’s winners,” said AAPC President Becki Donatelli. “We have no doubt that the 2022 Class of 40 Under 40 will continue to even greater successes as political consultants and help educate and inspire other rising stars in the industry, ”added AAPC Vice President Larry Huynh.

“We are thrilled to congratulate this year’s winners of the 40 Under 40 Awards. As a leader in the political text message marketing industry, it’s our pleasure to watch these individuals succeed in their profession and to contribute in a small way in their digital marketing journey,” added Kevin Fitzgerald, Tatango CEO.

The AAPC is dedicated to fostering the next generation of political professionals and is proud to recognize leaders and innovators in the political business community (including media, advertising, polling and public affairs) who are making a mark in their organization and their profession.

Winners of the AAPC 2022 40 Under 40 Awards

Democratic Winners Republican Winners
Ryan Berni, Berni Consulting

 

 Michael McCollum Adams, TAG Strategies
Mollie Binotto, Sena Kozar Strategies Sarah Clamp, Prime Media Partners
Kati Bumgardner, Counterpoint Messaging Chazz Clevinger, OneClickPolitics

 
Marshall Cohen, Democratic Governors Association (DGA) Lindsay Shuba Donnelly, TLC Political
Seferiana Day, Upper Left Strategies Kaeley Gemmill, Targeted Victory
Katelynd Duncan, KJD Strategies Joseph Goetz, NRCC
Zandria Haines, SBDigital Amanda Iovino, WPA Intelligence
Joshua Handelman, Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Matt Kenney, Camelback Strategy Group
Danny Kazin, American Bridge Danny Laub, POOLHOUSE
Adam Kirsch, Change Research Caeli Mahon, Targeted Victory
Angela Kuefler, Global Strategy Group Katie Martin, Big Dog Strategies
Byron LaMasters, InFocus Campaigns George Nassar, Public Opinion Strategies
Ben Lazarus, TargetSmart Joey Parr, Murphy Nasica
Alesa Mackool, ACM Strategies Sean Philbin, Smart Media Group
Henri Makembe, Do Big Things Christiana Purves, Push Digital & Laurens Group
Ishanee Parikh, Future Forward USA Action Martin Rini, Targeted Victory
Marilyn Báez Rodríguez, 303 Digital Jeffrey Snow, 936 Media
Tess Troha-Thompson, New Blue Interactive Edith Jorge-Tuñon, Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC)
Bryan Boo Yuen, Putnam Partners Phil Vangelakos, Push Digital, LLC
Adam Wise, National Media
Independent Winner:

Stephen Miller, Kivvit

About the 2022 AAPC Pollie Conference
As the premier industry event, the 2022 Pollie Awards & Conference is held in San Juan, Puerto Rico from May 17-19, 2022 and brings the leading political professionals in the world together to network and hear from top technology innovators, pollsters, pundits and service providers. The Conference features cutting-edge programming on key industry trends, designed to empower attendees to leverage the latest techniques in campaign strategy and management. The Conference is widely recognized as the must-attend event for political consultants, media buyers, public affairs specialists, suppliers, industry leaders and journalists. For details, visit www.theaapc.org.

About AAPC
Founded in 1969, the AAPC is a multi-partisan organization of political and public affairs professionals dedicated to improving democracy. The AAPC has over 1,400 members hailing from all corners of the globe.  It is the largest association of political and public affairs professionals in the world. For more information, see www.theaapc.org.

About Tatango

Since 2007, Tatango has provided easy-to-use SMS marketing software and industry expertise to political and nonprofit organizations and causes looking to achieve their fundraising goals. Tatango has become a market leader powering SMS and MMS campaigns designed to drive fundraising results. With billions of messages sent, Tatango’s marketing software has been time-tested to deliver positive fundraising outcomes.

Haley Barbour, Alexander Gage and Mandy Grunwald Receive Lifetime Achievement Award

May 9, 2022

CONTACT:
Alana Joyce
Executive Director
703-245-8021
ajoyce@theaapc.org

 

Haley Barbour, Alexander Gage and Mandy Grunwald Receive Lifetime Achievement Award

AAPC Announces 2022 Hall of Fame Inductees

 

Washington, D.C. (May 9, 2022) — The American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) — America’s largest and only bipartisan network of political professionals — announced Haley Barbour, Alexander Gage, and Mandy Grunwald as this year’s inductees into the AAPC Hall of Fame. The awards will be presented at a ceremony on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, sponsored by Home Team Sports, Playfly and Political Marketing + Media in conjunction with the annual AAPC Pollie Awards & Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

AAPC annually selects accomplished industry professionals for induction into its Hall of Fame. This is the highest honor that working members of the profession can bestow upon a colleague. The award recognizes honorees’ influence on other political consultants and public affairs professionals, the length and seriousness of their careers and their commitment to ethical business practices.

“It’s a privilege to honor such innovative and high-achieving individuals and firms in the industry,” said AAPC President Becki Donatelli.

“The impact that this year’s Hall of Fame inductees have had on the political consulting industry is immeasurable. We are excited to celebrate their achievements in person at the Pollie Conference,” added AAPC Vice President Larry Huynh.

“Home Team Sports, Playfly Sports and Political Marketing + Media are thrilled to take part in honoring this year’s Hall of Fame inductees,” said Stephen Ullman, Managing Partner of Political Marketing + Media. “The impact Alex, Haley and Mandy have had on this industry is outstanding and is well deserving of celebration.”

Previous Hall of Fame inductees include Lee Atwater, David Axelrod, Ross Bates, Paul Begala, Charlie Black, James Carville, Alex Castellanos, Joseph Cerrell, Wally Clinton, Roger Craver, Morris S. Dees, Linda DiVall, Thomas Edmonds, Arthur Finkelstein, Joseph Gaylord, David Garth, Bob Goodman, George Gorton, Stanley Greenberg, William Hamilton, Peter D. Hart, Allen Hoffenblum, Gale Kaufman, Donna Lucas, Eddie Mahe, Jr., Ellen Malcolm, Hal Malchow, Jim Margolis, Minyon Moore, Joe Napolitan, Lyn Nofziger, David Plouffe, Matt Reese, Ed Rollins, Karl Rove, Robert Shrum, Lionel Sosa, Stuart Spencer, Bob Squire, Greg Stevens, Ray Strother, Tony Schwartz, V. Lance Tarrance, Jr., Robert Teeter, Nancy Todd, Paul Tully, Richard Viguerie, F. Clifton White and Dick Woodward.

About the 2022 AAPC Hall of Fame Inductees

Haley Barbour, Founding Partner of BGR Group, returned to BGR in January 2012 after serving two consecutive terms as Governor of Mississippi, including two years as the Chairman of the Republican Governors Association. At BGR, he heads advocacy coalitions, lobbies on behalf of clients and remains a major force in Republican party politics and elections. Gov. Barbour began his political career in 1968, dropping out of college to work on Richard Nixon’s presidential campaign; he later served as Political Director of the Reagan White House. From 1993 to 1997, Gov. Barbour served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee. In 2003, he was elected Governor of Mississippi, assuming office in January 2004. After Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, Gov. Barbour received national recognition from the bipartisan American Legislative Exchange Council for his swift response to the worst natural disaster in American history. For his efforts to rebuild the Mississippi Gulf Coast, he received the Thomas Jefferson Freedom Award. The Hill newspaper has listed Gov. Barbour as one of Washington’s top lobbyists annually since his return to the firm in 2012.

Alexander Patton Gage began his professional career in 1974 as a survey research analyst at Market Opinion Research (MOR), where Robert M. Teeter, considered one of the founders of modern political campaign research, tapped Gage to be a part of the 1976 campaign for President Gerald R. Ford. Gage has participated in various capacities in every GOP presidential campaign since then. In 2003, Gage left MOR and founded TargetPoint Consulting, Inc., where he was a pioneer in the emerging field of microtargeting. Today, TargetPoint remains a leader in microtargeting and public opinion research. A constant innovator, Gage left TargetPoint in 2016 to focus his attention on G2 Analytics, a market research firm he co-founded to revolutionize how video content is measured and analyzed. Under his leadership, G2 Analytics has become a leader in political video testing.

Mandy Grunwald is the founder and president of Grunwald Communications, one of the leading Democratic media firms in the country and the most successful woman-owned media consultancy ever. Mandy is one of the few women at the top of the field, has elected numerous Senators and Governors and is the only woman in history to run the advertising for a successful presidential campaign (Bill Clinton’s). Mandy has helped elect six current Senators — Senator Tammy Baldwin, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator John Hickenlooper, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Senator Elizabeth Warren, and worked on successful independent expenditures for Senators Sherrod Brown, Maggie Hassan, Mark Kelly, Chris Murphy and Jackie Rosen. She is also known for her work for all Hillary Clinton’s Senate and Presidential campaigns.

About the 2022 AAPC Pollie Conference

As the premier industry event, the 2022 Pollie Awards & Conference is held in San Juan, Puerto Rico from May 17-19, 2022, and brings the leading political professionals in the world together to network and hear from top technology innovators, pollsters, pundits and service providers. The Conference features cutting-edge programming on key industry trends, designed to empower attendees to leverage the latest techniques in campaign strategy and management. The Conference is widely recognized as the must-attend event for political consultants, media buyers, public affairs specialists, suppliers, industry leaders and journalists. For details, visit www.theaapc.org.

About AAPC

Founded in 1969, the AAPC is a multi-partisan organization of political and public affairs professionals dedicated to improving democracy. The AAPC has over 1,500 members hailing from all corners of the globe. It is the largest association of political and public affairs professionals in the world. For more information, see www.theaapc.org.

About Political Marketing + Media

Founded in 2014, Political Marketing + Media specializes in matching political candidates, committees + advocacy groups with the best local, regional + national sports, news and entertainment programming and events. For more information, see politicalmarketingandmedia.com.

AAPC Partners on #TrustedInfo2022

The dissemination of accurate election information is a core value for AAPC and we are excited to support , an education initiative spearheaded by the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS).

 will help get voters the information they need to effectively participate in our democracy by highlighting election officials as the trusted sources for credible election information.

In this important election year, political consultants have the ability to make a huge impact. By educating voters about the  initiative, we can drive them directly to election officials’ websites and verified social media pages. This effort will ensure people are getting accurate election information and cut down on the misinformation and disinformation that can surround elections.

Voters can find their election official by visiting , an easy-to-use nonpartisan website maintained by NASS.

You can learn more about  by !

On the Campaign Trail: Insights from the Biden for President Campaign

The AAPC recently caught up with pollsters Celinda Lake and John Anzalone from the Biden for President campaign who shared their experience on their success from the 2020 Presidential campaign. The team is also the recipient of AAPC’s 2021 Democratic Campaign of the Year Award.

What specific team efforts contributed to the success of the campaign?

“Team” permeated the campaign from the beginning and that really contributed to the success. The pollsters worked very well together, solicited each other’s opinions, shared data and methodology, and clearly understood from day one that we were all in this together while facing a very difficult task in the primary and the general. This campaign had remarkable coordination between the “big data” operation and the polling and we worked hard to share methodology and compare insights and findings for the maximum impact. The entire team was very message oriented and benefitted from interactions with the policy people. We also were led by an amazing message team with Mike Donilon and Anita Dunn. The field operation and Jenn Ridder worked hard to implement the findings across mediums and to understand the value of traditional and big data targeting. Jennifer O’Malley Dillon set a strong tone from day one of “one team” and did an amazing job of assembling and leading a campaign virtually. First and foremost we were also led by a candidate and spouse who listened to the data, knew who they were and their values, and were open to good and bad news.

What tools did your team use to keep the campaign organized?

The tools that we used as pollsters were daily conversations, exchanging all materials and drafts, and sharing insights from all the work we were doing. Deep respect and affection and a good sense of humor helped us throughout. In our firm and in all their firms we were aided with such strong teams and partners.

How big of a role did social media marketing play in the success of the campaign?

Constant monitoring of social media by the DNC was superb, as well as the exchange of information so that we could compare what we were seeing in the polling with what was happening in social media responses, and flexible rapid testing using social media.

What was the biggest obstacle that your team faced on the campaign trail, and how did you overcome it?

Two big obstacles occurred. It’s hard to speak on the difficulty of exchanging information and having input when everything is socially distanced and on zoom. The sharing of information had to be formalized. It made it much harder to have input and to share than when we were all in one place. We overcame it with really good coordination from Julia Kennedy and a deep commitment to full sharing. We experimented with a variety of state and national coordination meetings. The state teams were also very data oriented and did an excellent job of consuming the data. The second obstacle was the difficulty of beating Donald Trump. The campaign and Joe Biden knew from day one how extraordinarily difficult that was. Then came the overlay of COVID-19 and the impact that had on field and GOTV. There was also the third stage of the campaign to protect the vote which our firm transitioned to day after the election.

What did you find most rewarding about working on this campaign?

The most rewarding part of the campaign was the success of the unity message and the economic message which were so authentic to Joe Biden. That was rivaled by the reward of beating Donald Trump. I truly believed from day one that Joe Biden was the candidate to beat Trump. It was very rewarding to work with such a talented group of pollsters to get the job done, share information and learn so much from them. It was rewarding to see our research turned directly in days to communications. It was very rewarding to work with two such powerful, principled women in Dr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.