Biden for President Announces Key Staff Hires in Texas
Today, Biden for President announced key staff hires in Texas, including alumni of Joe Biden’s successful primary campaign in Texas, the Texas Democratic Party, and some of the Lone Star State’s most competitive Congressional and Gubernatorial elections.
Rebecca Acuña, Texas State Director
A veteran of Texas politics, Rebecca Acuña’s career includes high-profile roles in government, campaigns, the private sector, and NGOs. A go-to talent for Democrats, Rebecca maintains a deep understanding of Lone Star politics from the Texas Capitol to Capitol Hill. She acquired a rare combination of state and federal government experience having served as a Chief of Staff and Communications Director for three Members of the Texas House of Representatives and as Communications Director for a Texas Member of Congress. Rebecca has also served as Communications Director for the Texas Democratic Party, for a top red-to-blue congressional race, and as Press Secretary for a Texas gubernatorial campaign. An immigrant from Mexico raised in Laredo, Texas, Rebecca is living the American Dream. She is a proud graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and is actively involved in civic affairs.
Jennifer Longoria, Deputy State Director
Jennifer Longoria is a Rio Grande Valley native of Edinburg, Texas, and has over a decade of experience organizing national, statewide, and city-wide races. Now based in San Antonio,
Texas, she specializes in field and data management. Prior to her work with Texas Tool Belt, Longoria served as the Texas Director for the Warren for President Campaign. Jenn has trained volunteers and staff from organizations across the state including Texas Freedom Network, New Leaders Council, The Texas Democratic Party, The Houston Justice Coalition, NARAL, and Afiya. She currently hi serves on the Battleground Texas Advisory Board and as President of The Bexar County Democratic Women.
Tariq Thowfeek, Communications Director
Tariq has over eight years of experience working on political campaigns, nonprofits, and, most recently, Facebook's Risk and Response team. He was the former communications director for the Texas Democratic Party during the 2016 and 2018 election cycle. Tariq grew up in Katy, graduated from Baylor University, and currently lives in Austin.
Mike Collier, Senior Advisor
Mike Collier was a Senior Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers before leaving to join the Texas Democratic Party in 2013 and putting substantially all of his efforts into turning Texas blue. In 2014 he was the Democratic nominee for Texas Comptroller, building a statewide reputation for advancing policies that are compassionate, just, fiscally responsible and fair. He was the 2018 Democratic nominee for Texas Lt Governor making Texas history by coming within five percentage points of the Republican incumbent in what the Economist Magazine characterized as a surprisingly fierce challenge. In his professional life, Mike is a merger and acquisition consultant and a Managing Director at Duff & Phelps, a global financial advisory firm. Mike holds an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin and is a Texas Certified Public Accountant.
Jane Hamilton, Strategic Advisor
Jane Hamilton is a veteran political strategist based in Texas. Ms. Hamilton is recognized as one of the best political operatives in Texas, credited with impressive electoral wins for over a decade. These victories include prominent federal, state and local wins including the 2006 Dallas County “Democratic Sweep,” in which Democrats won every judicial and countywide election; the 2008 base turnout program in Tarrant County that helped elect former State Senator Wendy Davis and current Democratic Caucus Chair Chris Turner; the 2010 election of Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins; 2011 cycle City of Houston non-partisan races; the election of Congressman Marc Veasey in a hotly contested 2012 Democratic Primary contest; and Joe Biden’s decisive Super Tuesday win in the 2020 Texas Democratic Presidential Primary when Hamilton served as the Biden Campaign’s Statewide Director.
Shekira Dennis, Director of Coalitions
Shekira Dennis is a native Houstonian and alum of the Texas Southern University Barbara-Jordan Mickey-Leland School of Public Affairs. She has over ten years of experience in leading local and statewide political and issue-based campaigns. She is the Managing Consultant of Next Wave Strategies, a Houston based political outreach and public engagement firm. She has extensive experience working on the grassroots level as a community organizer and social justice advocate for marginalized communities. She previously served as chair of the Houston Black Democrats and is an alum of the Women’s Campaign School at Yale and the White House Internship Program where she served in the Office of Presidential Personnel in the Obama Administration.
