Jacob Peters has advised Arizona Senator Mark Kelly through two tough elections, his first term in the U.S. Senate, and the Senator’s push for A.I. regulation and smarter gun laws. He’s also someone whose judgment and insight I deeply respect.
This week, we talked about an astronaut’s approach to making A.I. work for regular people, his advice for incoming Senate comms directors, and why Democrats should take more risks when engaging with the media.
I hope you get as much from Jacob’s insights as I always do.
THIS IS ON BACKGROUND:
5 short questions. 5 quick responses featuring the wisdom of DCCC alum and Senator Mark Kelly Senior Advisor Jacob Peters.
Fingers crossed, we’ll have a few new Democratic senators in January. If you were coming in as communications director for a freshman senator in 2027, what would you do differently than you did with Mark Kelly in 2021? What’s changed about the environment, and what still works?
We had a uniquely fun scenario where he was sworn in during COVID and had to immediately run for reelection. 0/10 do not recommend. One thing that never changes is the importance of having a talented team you can rely on to not just execute, but to be independent and push the envelope, especially as you’re starting up and getting pulled in different directions. We had that immediately in the Senate six years ago and have had it over the last few months as I’ve been on paternity leave and watched my team perform at a really high level.
The other thing I’d tell incoming comms directors today is to not draw up your org chart until you, your senior team and your principal are on the same page about the goals for your operation. Nearly every Senate comms shop has a different setup these days because they all have different priorities: policy leadership, national profile, dominating online, etc. Deciding on those goals is how you decide who to hire and how to plan for your first months in office, and it might not be the structure you first envision.
What’s one thing Senator Kelly is doing that you think reporters, fellow Dems, etc. should be paying more attention to?
People see his leadership on AI, but don’t see what goes into it and how it epitomizes working for an engineer and astronaut. It started with his bottom line philosophy that AI should benefit all Americans, not just a few. Then to turn that into solutions, he has had countless conversations with experts and stakeholders about everything to do with AI. He had us form an internal working group to turn those ideas into legislative action and take in the feedback he gets from those conversations. Sometimes that meant iterating and sometimes it meant totally rethinking where an idea had started, but that’s his leadership style: work with experts and those most affected by an issue, make a plan, and be willing to change it over time as you get new or better information.
It’s really fun to work on a big policy initiative like this that is driven by the principal. It also makes for smart solutions, like the Make AI Work for Americans Act he introduced last week, that addresses the real world concerns Americans have about AI job loss in a pragmatic way.
You’ve done your fair share of tough races. Are there any campaigns you see crushing it from a communications perspective that you think are worth watching?
I’m not the first to say it, but we all have to tip our cap to the Ossoff team. They’re crushing all the fundamentals of blocking and tackling in a competitive race - landing oppo, disciplined message, etc - while also driving awesome engagement and enthusiasm with these rallies and speeches.
It’s a great example of when an entire operation coalesces around a plan. They have tightly written, relevant, fresh remarks for him at these events. The events are really well produced and look great. They have a high quality camera set up. And they presumably partner with accounts and push out the content in a timely manner. Having one or two of those things is good, but it’s all of it coming together that makes it break through every time and drives not just online engagement but also earned media in a virtuous cycle.
What do you want to shout from the rooftops?
Democrats are collectively still too risk averse about who we talk to. The media mix has shifted a lot in the last two years and you see more Democrats on podcasts and talking to creators. But the most crowded spaces are still the safest ones and the easiest ones to book. That’s not all bad, we need a megaphone to reach the base. At the same time, the medium isn’t the goal, the audience is. Reaching younger Americans or those less interested in politics and the news takes more time, more creativity, and requires a higher tolerance for uncomfortable questions and the occasional awkward moment. But being willing to answer some uncomfortable questions and be straight with people is exactly how you ingratiate yourself with a new audience, especially a skeptical one.
Bonus question: You’re currently on paternity leave. There are a lot of staffers thinking about how to balance Hill life or campaigns with building families, maintaining relationships, and living real lives outside of work. What advice would you give people thinking through those choices?
Whether it’s a special trip, a relationship, or a major life decision: don’t put off joy in your life for fear of balancing it with work. You can have both and you need both to be the best, most effective version of yourself.
And be part of creating a culture that understands that. No one was more excited than Senator Kelly to hear I was having a kid, and our team is full of parents from our Chief of Staff on down. I never doubted that I’d have the support to be the dad I want to be and succeed in my job because I am around people who do it every day.
Who else should we make time to talk to?
Anyone doing work with creators and campaigns. And as someone who started in the House, I’d love to hear how a House campaign CD is keeping up with the new landscape without the budget for a big team.
Thanks for your time, Jacob.