Laura Chapin
Principal | LKC Consulting
This month, AAPC caught up with new Individual Member, Laura Chapin.
AAPC: What do you love about politics?
Laura: The competition of ideas and the creative process. I’m a writer, and I still firmly believe that without good writing the platform doesn’t matter. It’s old school, but connecting language to ideas and candidates is the foundation of what we do – garbage in, garbage out. And politics attracts all kinds of characters, so you have plenty to write about.
And I love the feeling of accomplishment that comes from achieving a hard-fought win. The two things I’m proudest of as a consultant was the earned media I did in 2013 for what was then Mayors Against Illegal Guns to pass the Colorado gun safety laws in the wake of the Aurora Theater shooting. One of the people I worked with, Tom Sullivan, lost his son Alex in the massacre and was just elected to the Colorado House in 2018. And in 2018, I helped my longtime client NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado elect the Fab 5 – the five pro-choice women who flipped the Colorado State Senate from red to blue. That was a fun election night in Denver.
AAPC: Who do you look up to in the industry?
Laura: I look up to people like Rick and Joannie Ridder, Ray Strother, Sarah Flowers, and Liz Chadderdon – people who have maintained a standard of hard work on meaningful issues and interesting candidates for a long time. Amy Chapman in Michigan was my first campaign manager and a lifelong political mentor. And of course, as a former Barbara Mikulski staffer, Ellen Malcolm and her work with EMILY’s list has fundamentally changed the game for women candidates.
AAPC: What do you love about politics?
Laura: The competition of ideas and the creative process. I’m a writer, and I still firmly believe that without good writing the platform doesn’t matter. It’s old school, but connecting language to ideas and candidates is the foundation of what we do – garbage in, garbage out. And politics attracts all kinds of characters, so you have plenty to write about.
AAPC: What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Laura: Amy Chapman, Clinton Gore re-elect, 1996: “Our job is to turn out Democrats. There’s more of us than there are of them, and if we vote, we win.”
Barbara Mikulski, ‘The Mikulski Method’: “Make the point, illustrate it, make it again.” “Do not explain an abstraction with an abstraction.” “Always be clear about: What is the goal we seek? “We can always guarantee an effort. We can’t always guarantee an outcome.”
Mom: “Your worst fears and your greatest hopes are rarely realized. Life generally falls somewhere in between.”
AAPC: Where do you go when you need to be inspired?
Laura: I live in Colorado, so inspiration is an hour west in the mountains. A good hike in Rocky Mountain National Park or the national forest/wilderness areas around Denver – I like to hike to bodies of water like lakes or waterfalls- clears out the cobwebs. I’ve managed one 14er – Mount Bierstadt – and my goal is at least a couple more. There’s also a really great short hiking/running trail through Red Rocks, which many people don’t realize is a public park. That and a couple rounds on the Red Rocks stairs and you’re good to go.
AAPC: Why did you join AAPC?
Laura: Networking and a chance to connect with others in the industry. It’s especially useful now because I think more and more consultants like me are living and working outside Washington, DC. I’ve done a lot of Colorado work, but I’d like to branch out into other parts of the country.
AAPC: How do you manage high-stress situations?
Laura: I’ve been practicing yoga for 20 years, which I actually started at Joy of Motion and Tranquil Space in DC. Now I have a yoga and meditation class I go to every weekend – it’s my set-aside me time. I also stress bake, which is appreciated by friends and colleagues.
AAPC: Why is being part of a bipartisan organization valuable to you?
Laura: I’ve worked on numerous ballot issues, which are bipartisan by nature. I think it’s interesting to collaborate with people who have a different approach and perspective, and I think it refreshes your own creativity.
Our newly launched Member Spotlight feature puts you in front of the AAPC community so that you can expand your personal and professional network! We encourage all AAPC members, new and veteran, to take advantage of this opportunity to connect with other members. To be featured in our next Member Spotlight, contact Angela Pubal at apubal@theaapc.org.
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