DES MOINES—The Republican Party of Iowa (RPI) has hired a team of top-flight communicators to promote the party’s message to Iowa citizens and journalists as the Iowa GOP strengthens its operations in advance of the 2014 general election.
“The Iowa GOP will be laser-focused over the next two-and-a-half months on informing Iowans about Republican candidates up and down the ticket. The slate of GOP candidates this year is perhaps the best in my lifetime.” said Jeff Kaufmann, RPI’s chairman and a former leader in the Iowa House of Representatives.
“RPI’s communications team will aggressively highlight how Democratic candidates—who want to grow government, raise taxes and restrict individual freedom—will harm Iowa families, businesses and taxpayers,” Kaufmann said.
Bios of RPI’s communications team:
Jeff Patch, Communications Director
Patch, a Dubuque native, will manage RPI’s strategic communications, including media relations, RPI Iowa Intel (RPI’s morning political briefing), research and multimedia content creation.
Patch has worked as a communications consultant and writer, most recently as a principal at Concordia Group Public Affairs and as a writer for TheIowaRepublican.com. From late 2008 to 2011, he was the communications director for the Center for Competitive Politics, an Alexandria, Va.-based advocacy group that seeks to strengthen political speech rights. He has worked as press secretary to Rep. Tom Latham, R-Clive, and as a budget analyst for the Cato Institute. A recovering journalist, Patch started his career as a staff writer for Politico.com after writing for the Des Moines Register in college. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a degree in journalism and political science.
Tim Albrecht, Digital Director
Albrecht, an Ida Grove native, will consult for RPI on its website, social media and digital strategy.
Albrecht, the president of Albrecht Public Relations, has worked with many political figures, including GOP presidential nominee and Gov. Mitt Romney, Steve Forbes, former Rep. Greg Ganske and former Iowa House Speaker Christopher Rants. In 2009, Albrecht joined Gov. Terry Branstad’s campaign for governor to manage the campaign’s messaging, communications and social media efforts. Following the 2010 election, Albrecht served as communications director for the Branstad-Reynolds administration. He managed the rigorous press schedule of the administration and oversaw the messaging efforts of Iowa’s departments and agencies. Albrecht is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in public relations.
Jahan Wilcox, Rapid Response Director
Wilcox, who hails from Minnesota, will manage RPI’s rapid response communications to combat Democratic attacks and promote Republican candidates to Iowa and national journalists.
Wilcox is an experienced communicator who has worked for numerous U.S. Senate candidates, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Republican National Committee and as a communications aide for three U.S. Senators. Wilcox is a graduate of St. Norbert College with a degree in political science.