Grassley Re-election Campaign Retains Woolson for 2010 Communications Role
DES MOINES – U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley’s re-election campaign has retained Iowa political veteran Eric Woolson as spokesman and to guide its communications activities through the general election.
“Eric has a unique working relationship with Chuck Grassley over more than 30 years. He was a newspaper reporter in the late 1970s when he first covered Grassley, wrote his biography in 1995 and has remained in touch during past 13-plus years that he has been a political professional,” campaign manager Bob Renaud said. “He has good understanding of who Chuck Grassley is and what he stands for. He knows Chuck Grassley has an outstanding message and record to communicate and he’s looking forward to getting that word out.”
Woolson managed Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s presidential campaign to victory in the 2008 precinct caucuses. He most recently managed the gubernatorial campaign of Sioux City businessman Bob Vander Plaats, moving from the role of communications consultant to lead the campaign when called upon to do so in January.
“Chuck Grassley has always been there when Iowans need him. He knows this state as few people ever will and he’s a respected voice in Washington who gets things done. That’s why he was just named the hardest-working lawmaker of the 535 senators and members of Congress and why Iowans hold Chuck Grassley in such high regard,” Woolson said. “And, that’s why I am so excited to work with him in this new role.”
Woolson was a member of the Iowa press corps for 20 years. He started his newspaper career in Boone in 1976 and worked for newspapers in Madrid, Guthrie Center, Webster City and Keokuk before joining United Press International in 1983. He wrote for the Waterloo Courier for 11 years, including nine as its political reporter/columnist and two years as its editorial page editor.
He was Gov. Terry Branstad’s communications director and press secretary during Branstad’s final term in office. He served as Iowa communications director to George W. Bush during the 2000 presidential campaign and was the communications director for the Doug Gross for Governor campaign in 2002.
In 2002, he founded The Concept Works, a West Des Moines firm that provides public and government relations counsel, marketing services and crisis management for corporate, political and individual clients.
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