Thomas Bates is the Vice President for Civic Engagement at Rock the Vote where he leads the voter registration and education, issue advocacy, and research efforts. Prior to working at Rock the Vote, he was the co-founder and executive director of Democrats Work, an innovative service organization.

He has been active in a number of political organizations and campaigns, beginning in 1992 when he volunteered after high school basketball practice at the Clinton-Gore National Campaign Headquarters in Arkansas. While at Duke University, he volunteered on David Price's successful 1996 congressional campaign and then served on his staff in both Washington, D.C. and North Carolina from 1997 to 2001. A graduate of the NYU School of Law, he practiced law at Cooley Godward in San Francisco before moving to Seattle where he lives and works when not flying to the other Washington.

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