So you want to be a top dog in Congress? Hill climbers seeking a prime perch in a congressional office can learn a thing or two from the career paths of the 100 new chiefs of staff who serve alongside the freshman members of the 113th. LegiStorm has reviewed previous salary records, job histories and personal financial disclosures to provide the most comprehensive look at who are the top advisers to the newest members of the House and Senate.
Prior tenure as a chief or in another staff role was the most common thread. 55 of 85 House chiefs and 12 of 15 Senate chiefs have Capitol Hill experience. 26 chiefs in the House and Senate combined held positions on a congressional staff immediately prior to their current post. Jedd Moskowitz and Hunter Ridgway, who work for Reps. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) and Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) respectively, each have over 20 years of Hill experience, topping the list of staffers with most tenure.
Campaign ties were another strong predictor of new chiefs. 22 House chiefs and 6 Senate chiefs either ran or worked on the campaigns of their future boss. 6 chiefs worked on other campaigns during the fall. Any income received in these positions is required to be listed in the financial disclosures of any House or Senate staffer whose rate of pay exceeds $120,000 per annum. Every Senate chief who worked on a campaign reported earnings of over $100,000, with several individuals posting combined income from all sources closer to a quarter million dollars. Where reported, House campaign salaries were on average less lucrative than Senate salaries, but still pushed up against low six-figure, upper five-figure earnings.
Being a registered lobbyist was a less sure-fire way to secure a spot as a chief of staff. Only 4 chiefs came directly from the lobbying world onto their new staff. However, a larger number, 14 House chiefs and 3 Senate chiefs, have previous experience lobbying at the federal level at some point in their career. Of those 17 individuals, 10 had lobbying issues that coincide with their new boss's committee jurisdictions.
Other immediate prior employment before becoming a chief included private sector work (18 chiefs), state government (9 chiefs), and the executive branch (4 chiefs).
Steve Olson and Matt Von Lunen contributed to this post.
