Mark Squier

Mark Squier is an American strategic advisor and media consultant who has worked for Democratic candidates including Howard Dean, Ann Richards, and Robert Weygand. He is a founding partner of the media consulting firm McMahon Squier and Associates and is also a founding partner of Purple Strategies, a bipartisan communications firm.

Early life

Mark Squier is the son of media consultant Bob Squier. As a teenager, Squier was introduced to his father's profession when he was hired by his father to carry and transport camera equipment for various political campaigns.^[1]

Career

Early political work

In 1978, Squier worked with his father on Bob Graham’s campaign for governor of Florida^[1] and was later hired as lead producer at Squier/Eskew Communications, a firm his father helped found.^[2] During his time with his father's firm, Squier produced advertisements for local and national candidates including former Texas Governor Ann Richards,^[3] then-Tennessee Senator Al Gore,^[4] Iowa Senator Tom Harkin^[5] and Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman.^[2]

McMahon Squier and Associates

In 1991, Squier left Squier/Eskew Communications and co-founded Trippi McMahon and Squier, a media consulting firm, with Steve McMahon and Joe Trippi. The firm worked on local, national, and international political campaigns including that of Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou in 1993.^[6][7] Three years later, the firm produced advertisements for the senatorial campaigns of Ron Wyden of Oregon, Mark Warner of Virginia, and John Kitzhaber's campaign for governor of Oregon.^[6][8] Also in 1996, Squier worked with Robert Weygand on his successful congressional primary campaign against fellow Democrat Joe Paolino, who had hired Squier's father Bob Squier as a media consultant.^[1][9]

Squier's firm also worked with John Baldacci, including producing advertisements for his 2002 campaign for governor of Maine.^[10] In 2004, Squier, along with his partner McMahon, were hired as senior political strategists for former Vermont Governor Howard Dean's presidential campaign.^[11] The same year, the Media Fund hired Squier’s firm to be its lead advertising agency.^[11] Two years later, the firm developed advertisements for John Sarbanes' congressional campaign in Maryland.^[12]

During the mid-2000s, Squier's firm changed names several times. In 2004, Joe Trippi left the firm, which was then renamed McMahon Squier and Associates.^[13][14] From 2007 to 2008, John Lapp joined the firm as a partner and the firm's name was changed to McMahon Squier Lapp and Associates.^[15] Following Lapp's departure, the firm returned to the name McMahon Squier and Associates.^[16]

Other clients of Squier's firm include the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in both 2006 and 2008,^[17] and the House Majority Super PAC in 2012.^[18]

Purple Strategies

In 2008, Squier became a founding partner at Purple Strategies, a bipartisan communications firm located in Alexandria, Virginia. Other founding partners include Alex Castellanos, Bruce Haynes, and Steve McMahon.^[19][20] Current and former Purple Strategies clients include BP, Time Warner Cable, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and the United States Chamber of Commerce.^[21][22]

Other activities

Squier received his master’s degree in film from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. His thesis film, "The Blue Men", was the recipient of an Emmy and a Student Academy Award in 1990.^[23][24][25]

Squier was a co-executive producer of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.^[26]

References