Lou Zickar has over 20 years of experience in Republican Party politics both on and off of Capitol Hill. He currently serves as the Editor of The Ripon Forum, a centrist Republican journal of thought and opinion that was first published in 1965 on the campus of Harvard University and is published today by the Ripon Society in Washington, DC.

In this position, he is at the forefront of the debate over the future of the Republican Party, and is one of the leading advocates for a more inclusive, forward thinking GOP. In addition to his editing duties, Zickar writes a regular column for the Forum. He has been quoted and his writings have been featured in such publications and media outlets as The Chicago Tribune, Politico, CNN.com, The Washington Times, The Hill, The Des Moines
Register, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Baltimore Sun, and The Providence Journal.

Prior to being named Editor of the Forum, Zickar served as the Administrative Assistant and Communications Director to Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-TX). In this position, he managed the Congressman’s Washington office, and helped oversee the development and implementation of his legislative, political, and communications strategy.

Zickar’s achievements in this job included positioning the Congressman as one of the leading experts on homeland security in the wake of 9/11, and communicating the fact that the Congressman had introduced legislation to establish a Homeland Security Department six months before the terrorist attacks. His efforts helped secure the Congressman appearances in most major media, including The Washington Post, New York Times, Time Magazine, the CBS Evening News, CNN, MSNBC and Fox News.

Before joining Thornberry’s staff, Zickar served as the Deputy Director of
Communications for the National Policy Forum, a think tank established by Haley Barbour when he was Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Among other activities, NPF held 70 town hall meetings across the United States in 1993 and 1994.

The issues and ideas developed in these town meetings were later incorporated into the Contract with America, and helped lay the foundation for the GOP takeover of Congress in the 1994 general elections.

Earlier in his career, Zickar worked as an Associate for the political consulting firm, The Eddie Mahe Company. In this position, he helped manage the Republican National Committee’s “truth squad” operation during the 1992 Democratic National Convention in New York City. He also served as an on-the-ground strategist for the Jon Fox for Congress campaign in PA-13, overseeing message development in what was ultimately a losing race to Democrat Marjorie Margolies Mezvinsky during what became known as
the “Year of the Woman” in 1992.

During the 1990 election cycle, Zickar worked as the Deputy Director of Strategy and Research for the National Republican Congressional Committee. He conducted opposition research for congressional candidates across the country, including Ken Blackwell in OH-1 and Gary Franks in CT-5. Zickar spent the final three weeks of the campaign on the ground in CT-5, serving as effective “body man” for Franks, helping him overcome a deficit in the polls and become the first African American Republican elected to the House of Representatives since the 1920s.

Zickar came to the NRCC from the staff of Congressman Bob Walker (PA-16). One week after being named the Congressman’s Press Secretary in 1989, Walker was appointed Chief Deputy Whip by his close ally, Newt Gingrich. Zickar served as the Congressman’s principal spokesman during this period, handling press inquiries related primarily to ethics investigations surrounding Jim Wright and Tony Coehlo, and the eventual ascension of Tom Foley to the Speakership.

Zickar is a native of Youngstown, Ohio. He and his wife have been married for 18 years, and have two teenage children.

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