Kelly Ward

Kelly Ward serves as the Executive Director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). Prior to serving as Executive Director, Kelly was the DCCC’s Political Director in 2012, where she oversaw the incumbent protection program and the Committee’s redistricting efforts, and the Regional Political Director for Incumbent Protection in 2010, working with more than 50 incumbent Members on their re-election efforts.

Kelly has an array of experience in political campaigns, grassroots advocacy and public policy. Prior to joining the DCCC, she was the Campaign Manager for Alan Khazei’s U.S. Senate campaign in Massachusetts, helping a first-time candidate build and execute a statewide campaign in fewer than 100 days. Kelly also ran Harry Mitchell’s first congressional campaign against J.D. Hayworth in Arizona’s fifth district, defeating a 12-year incumbent despite a 17-point voter registration disadvantage.

She has also run several nonprofit advocacy campaigns, including serving as the Director of America Forward, a national policy coalition, and the Executive Director of an Arizona-based advocacy organization, the Project for Arizona’s Future. Kelly also worked for Governor Janet Napolitano where she focused on community outreach, external communications, and public policy issues, and was one of the founding Members of Arizona List and Arizona Emerge, organizations dedicated to electing women to local office in Arizona.

Kelly received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ and her Masters in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, MA. She is originally from Las Vegas, NV.