Get to Know Jill Nelson Golub, a 2021 40 Under 40 Winner!
JILL NELSON GOLUB
Principal, Whitehurst/Mosher Campaign Strategy and Media
- How did you first get involved in politics? When I was in high school, I did a summer internship with my local county legislator and instantly fell in love with politics and government. I was inspired to see how the work of an elected official could directly impact the lives of my fellow community members. I knew I wanted to be a part of that. Today, I get to work to ensure we are electing the best, most qualified and diverse elected officials we can to best serve our community.
- What was your first impression of the industry? What is your impression now? When I first started working on political campaigns, the people in charge were almost all white men who had very little interest in improving their skills or helping me learn the trade. I had to work really hard to get the skills and experiences I needed to be successful and to get a seat at the table when it came to strategy. The industry is much different now. There are more women and people of color in leadership positions, there are more people willing to teach and train others, and the industry as a whole has been forced to become more innovative and data-driven. I love it.
- What do you wish other people knew about political consulting? I wish other people appreciated how hard and complicated this work is. Running successful political campaigns is a science and an art, developed over years of running (and winning and losing) campaigns. Our job is to bring out the best in our candidates and connect their message with a potential universe of supporters in compelling ways. I take this work very seriously – both in supporting a candidate and in serving the public. We aren’t lawyers with extensive degrees, so a lot of people without any campaign experience think they know how to run a campaign well, but not many do!
- How did you recover from your first campaign loss? Honestly, I cried in the bathroom. We all worked so hard on the campaign and I truly believed our candidate was the best one. But, once I stopped feeling sorry for myself and our team, I used that experience to become a better consultant and my campaigns have benefitted from that experience.
