EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Name: Thomas Peterson
Title: ResearchAssociate
Location: Annapolis, MD
Bio: Born and raised in South Florida, I have always maintained a fascination in politics, both local and national, given the sometimes-unfortunate distinction that the region holds within political history since 2000. I graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2014 with a BA in History, but not before getting my feet wet in campaign life. I interned for Sen. Mitch McConnell’s district office in Lexington, KY while living in the Commonwealth for a history internship, and also helped in my off-time with campaign efforts alongside the Senator on the ground in the beautiful Bluegrass region.
From there, I continued with the campaign lifestyle in areas of grassroots, political operations, body man duties, and eventually campaign management. I have worked with Republican household names and newcomers alike, from gubernatorial and Senate candidates in my home state of Florida, to a Senate nominee in NM, to working alongside Jeb Bush in 2016. Through the processes of each, I have been proud of the body of work we put in, despite the victories or shortfalls.
What you do at Axiom/how you serve our clients: The simple answer is I help to keep candidates/elected officials honest and accountable. Through the work I do with Cannon Research Group, I research/organize info for our clients to help them best understand their political environment, by ways of interpreting public/legislative records, any potential vulnerabilities of themselves or competition, etc. Our team is able to keep our clients informed and prepared for any prospective political liability that may exist to themselves or their opponents, through our industry-leading methods.
What lessons have you learned from previous campaign cycles? Many lessons were learned along the campaign trail over the years, but one of the most important is time management. People do not fully understand the time and energy that is needed for political campaigns, and it can often get the better of unsuspecting operatives. The thousands of miles driven and 18+ hour workdays for weeks on end reveal the best and worst of people. Being mindful of how to best use the time and how to best use any off-time is the key to going the distance and being able to best perform for the candidate/campaign.
Your favorite political figure (past or present) & why: Although not fully known or appreciated today, Bosco was one of America’s finest dog mayors. Mayor Bosco served the small town of Sunol, CA from 1981 to 1994, beating two human opponents in his first election in a landslide while running as a “Rep-Pup-lican”. He later gained national and international notoriety after a Chinese newspaper criticized his mayorship as a sign of failing democracy. Ever the statesman, Mayor Bosco rebuked this claim and defended democracy by soon attending a Tiananmen Square protest rally in town. He was a soft-spoken public servant who did not engage in petty political squabbles and was beloved by all residents and voters, who overlooked his scandal of fathering eleven illegitimate puppies while in office.