Campaign Finance Reform

Bob Kerrey

January 1, 2011, Bob Kerrey completed his tenure as seventh President of The New School, a university founded on strong democratic ideals and daring educational practices, an environment that was well suited for his leadership. He also served as New School's President Emeritus from January 1, 2011 to January 31, 2013.

Prior to coming to The New School Bob Kerrey represented Nebraska in the United States Senate. For two terms, Senator Kerrey emphasized the direct connection between citizens and their laws, and made a concerted effort to allow Nebraskans to participate in writing laws that defined the quality and inclusiveness of their health care system, their schools and the safety of their communities. He served on the Senate's Agriculture and Forestry Committee, Senate's Appropriations Committee, Senate's Finance Committee, and last but not least on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence where he worked to restructure our intelligence agencies to improve their capacity to meet the threats faced by our country. Prior to serving in the U.S. Senate Bob Kerrey served a single term as Nebraska's Governor. He established a reputation as a fiscal conservative who regularly crossed political party lines for the good of Nebraska and the Country.

Bob Kerrey served three years in the United States Navy. While in Vietnam, he was wounded, permanently disabled from the injury, and from this injury received a great gift: Sympathy for those who are suffering and an appreciation for the capacity of government to save your life. Before his time in the Navy Bob Kerrey attended the University of Nebraska graduating in January 1966 with a BS degree in pharmacy. He was born in Lincoln and attended public schools there. In 2002 he published a memoir "When I Was A Young Man."

Bob Kerrey is married to Sarah Paley and lives in New York. The couple has a 12-year-old son, Henry, and Mr. Kerrey has two children from his previous marriage, Ben and Lindsey Kerrey, and four grandchildren.

Dr. Costas Panagopoulos

Dr. Costas Panagopoulos is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institution for Social and Policy Studies at Yale University. He is also Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science and Director of the Master's Program in Elections and Campaign Management at Fordham University, an initiative designed to train graduate students in practical electioneering. Dr. Panagopoulos previously founded and directed the Master's Program in Political Campaign Management in the Department of Politics at New York University. A former candidate for the Massachusetts State Legislature in 1992, Dr. Panagopoulos offers courses in the program that focus on campaign strategy and message development, political advertising and media strategy. His academic research focuses on American Politics, with an emphasis on campaigns and elections, voting behavior and public opinion. Dr. Panagopoulos was selected by the American Political Science Association as a Congressional Fellow during 2004-2005, and he served in the office of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY). He was also appointed Visiting Research Scholar at the Institute for Politics, the Internet and Democracy at the Graduate School for Political Management at George Washington University and as a Research Fellow at the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University, both in Washington, DC. Panagopoulos is President/CEO of XVOTES, a New York-based political strategy firm. He was elected President of the American Association of Political Consultants’ Mid-Atlantic chapter in 2003. He has also developed expertise in international political consulting and has worked as a consultant in the Electoral Assistance Division at the United Nations. He earned his doctoral degree in Politics from New York University.

John Rauh

John was the founder of Americans for Campaign Reform. He served as President of Cincinnati, Ohio's independent political party, the Charter Committee, from 1969 to 1975. In 1992, John was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate from New Hampshire. He was a board member of Common Cause from 1998 to 2002. John joined Clopay Corporation in 1961, serving as its Chief Executive Officer from 1975 to 1985. He has been active on the boards of numerous civic and educational organizations, chairing the board of the Children's Alliance of New Hampshire from 1997 to 2002. John received his AB and MBA degrees from Harvard University. He was a fellow at the Kennedy School of Government in 1989 and 1990. John lives in New Hampshire with his wife Mary, a former candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives and a former member of the board of directors of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Warren Bruce Rudman

Warren Bruce Rudman was born in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, May 18, 1930. He attended the public schools of Nashua, N.H.; graduated, Valley Forge Military School, Wayne, Pa., 1948; graduated, Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y., 1952; graduated, Boston College Law School, Boston, Mass., 1960. Rudman served in the United States Army Infantry (1952-1954). He was admitted to the New Hampshire bar in 1960 and commenced practice in Nashua. Rudman served as legal counsel to the Governor in 1970 and attorney general of New Hampshire from 1970 until 1976. He practiced law in Manchester, N.H. from 1976 until 1980. Rudman was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate, November 4, 1980, for the six-year term commencing January 3, 1981. He was subsequently appointed by the Governor, December 29, 1980, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John A. Durkin for the term ending January 3, 1981. He was reelected in 1986 and served from December 29, 1980, to January 3, 1993. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1992. After retiring from the Senate, he resumed the practice of law in Washington, D.C. and was a co-founder of the Concord Coalition.

Michael Waldman

Executive Director, Brennan Center for Justice Mr. Waldman is a nationally prominent public interest lawyer, government official, teacher and writer. He became director of the Brennan Center in October 2005. Mr. Waldman was Director of Speechwriting for President Bill Clinton from 1995-1999, serving as Assistant to the President. He was responsible for writing or editing nearly 2,000 speeches, including four State of the Union speeches and two Inaugural Addresses. Previously, he was Special Assistant to the President for Policy Coordination (1993-1995). Mr. Waldman was the top administration policy aide working on campaign finance reform, one of the Center's signature issues, and drafted the administration's public financing proposal. He is the author of several books, including My Fellow Americans: The Most Important Speeches of American Presidents (Sourcebooks, 2003); POTUS Speaks: Finding the Words that Defined the Clinton Presidency (Simon & Schuster, 2000); and Who Robbed America? A Citizens' Guide to the Savings and Loan Scandal (Random House, 1990).