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Karoline Leavitt

Karoline Leavitt (born August 24, 1997)[1] is an American political aide currently serving as the national press secretary for Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.[2] She previously served as an assistant press secretary and presidential writer during the Donald Trump administration.[3] In 2022, she ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in New Hampshire's 1st district, becoming the second member of Generation Z to win a congressional primary. She lost the general election to incumbent Chris Pappas.[4]

Early life and education

Karoline Leavitt was born and raised in Atkinson, New Hampshire.[5] Her family owned a local ice cream shop and a used truck dealership in Plaistow, New Hampshire.[6][5] She attended Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts and then pursued higher education at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire,[3][1] where she earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications and political science; she also played NCAA Division II college softball.[7][8] Leavitt worked at Hearst Television WMUR-TV while in college.[9][3]

Career

Leavitt began her career as a summer intern in the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence prior to her senior year in college.[5] Upon her graduation she took a job in the correspondence office before joining the White House Press Office as an assistant press secretary under Kayleigh McEnany.[5][6] Following the conclusion of the Trump administration she was hired as the communications director for U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik from New York.[10][11]

Congressional campaign

In 2022, Leavitt announced her candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives, running as a Republican in New Hampshire's 1st congressional district.[12] She notably ran against 2020 nominee Matt Mowers, former Executive Councilor Russell Prescott, journalist Gail Huff Brown, and State Representative Tim Baxter. The final poll before the primary showed Leavitt losing to Mowers by two points.[13] Leavitt won the primary by about 10 points. Her victory in the Republican primary made her the second member of Generation Z to win a congressional primary after Maxwell Frost who did so the previous month.[4] Her campaign focused on conservative values, economic growth, and support for law enforcement.[14] She emphasized her commitment to protecting Second Amendment rights, reducing taxes, and opposing government overreach.[15][16] Leavitt lost in the general election to incumbent Chris Pappas by 8.2% of the vote.[17] Leavitt declined to run in the 2024 election[18]

Personal life

Leavitt grew up in a Catholic household, and she is an outspoken advocate for private education and opposes abortion.[19][20]

References

  1. ^ a b "Birthday of the Day: Karoline Leavitt, White House assistant press secretary". Politico. August 24, 2020. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  2. ^ Singman, Brooke (April 3, 2023). "Karoline Leavitt to join Trump super PAC as spokeswoman". Fox News. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Iowa State University: Archives of Women's Political Communication". June 26, 2024. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024 – via awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu.
  4. ^ a b Cohen, Li (September 14, 2022). "25-year-old Karoline Leavitt becomes first Republican Gen Z congressional nominee after winning New Hampshire primary - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d Burt, Bill (November 28, 2020). "Meet the assistant press secretary". Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Sotomayor, Marianna (November 3, 2022). "Karoline Leavitt wants to be Gen Z's conservative voice in Congress". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  7. ^ "Ballotpedia: Karoline_Leavitt". June 26, 2024. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024 – via Ballotpedia.
  8. ^ "The Unexpected Way that a Trump Loss Could Be the End of US". May 28, 2023. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024 – via huckabee.tv.
  9. ^ "Fox News: Karoline_Leavitt". June 26, 2024. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024 – via Fox News.
  10. ^ Lahut, Jake (September 13, 2022). "Stefanik-Backed Candidate Wins MAGA World Face-Off in New Hampshire". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  11. ^ "Leavitt, 25, cites youth in bid to be youngest congresswoman". Associated Press. October 30, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  12. ^ Wang, Amy (September 14, 2022). "Who is Karoline Leavitt, GOP nominee for U.S. House in N.H.?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  13. ^ https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1702&context=survey_center_polls
  14. ^ Callery, Tim (November 8, 2022). "Candidates make final pitches to voters ahead of Election Day". WMUR-TV. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  15. ^ Enstrom, Kirk (November 3, 2022). "1st District Rep. Chris Pappas, Karoline Leavitt clash in fiery debate". WMUR-TV. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  16. ^ Enstrom, Kirk (November 9, 2022). "US Rep. Chris Pappas projected to defeat Republican challenger Karoline Leavitt to win a third term". WMUR-TV. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  17. ^ "New Hampshire First Congressional District Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  18. ^ "Daily Kos Elections Live Digest: 8/14". Daily Kos. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  19. ^ Bookman, Todd (October 19, 2022). "It may be her first campaign, but the building blocks of Leavitt's politics were laid years ago". New Hampshire Public Radio. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  20. ^ McCormack, Kathy (October 30, 2022). "Leavitt, 25, cites youth in a bid to be the youngest Congresswoman". Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.