Colorado Dems Recruit Former NM Exec Director.

Matt Farrauto
The politically savvy Matt Farrauto, former NM Democratic Party Executive Director, is on the move. He’s just been hired as the Communication’s Director for the Colorado Democratic Party. He resigned his NM position in 2007 after Chairman Brian Colón was elected to replace John Wertheim.

In his P.J.'s Farrauto protests President Bush during a fund raising trip to Albuquerque for Sen. Pete Domenici in August 2007.

Farrauto has spent the last year working as an independent political consultant for Grassroots Solutions, volunteering for Hillary Clinton, and working as the Interim Campaign Manager for Steve Gaw in Missouri.

Farrauto was replaced with Attorney Laura Sanchez after a long search by Colon. Sanchez, underfunded and short staffed, took the fall for a mis-managed, problem-plagued Super Tuesday Caucus in February.

Joe Monahan described the debacle this way:

Sanchez, operating under the gun in what has been the week from hell for her and Dem Party chair Brian Colòn, also had to take time to fend off rumors that she was resigning or being fired. "I am here and working and not leaving," she told me.

Two weeks later Sanchez quit on February 19, 2008 and was replaced with Josh Geise who's birthday is Monday, August 4th.

Photos from MG Bralley

News Release from Colorado:

STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY ANNOUNCES NEW COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Denver, CO – (August 2, 2008) - Chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Colorado Pat Waak announced that veteran Democratic political operative Matt Farrauto will serve as Communications Director for the state party.

“Because Colorado is hosting the Democratic National Convention and has become a competitive battleground state, we are enjoying a new degree of media attention. I am pleased that we could find someone like Matt Farrauto, who brings a unique set of qualifications and experience to the job of Communications Director,” said Colorado Democratic Party Chair Pat Waak. “He has steady hand and a passion for Democratic politics.”

Matt Farrauto comes to Colorado from New Mexico where he served as the Executive Director of the Democratic Party of New Mexico from 2005 until late 2007. Prior to being promoted to Executive Director, Farrauto served as spokesman for New Mexico’s Democratic Coordinated Campaign.

Farrauto started his political career as a Press Assistant and Legislative Correspondent for U.S. Senator Russ Feingold before joining the Communications Department of Bill Bradley’s presidential campaign in Iowa. Later in 2000, Farrauto went on to work as a Communications Director for a U.S. Senate campaign in Vermont, and on a competitive statewide judicial race in Ohio.

From 2001 through 2004 Farrauto served as Communications Director for California Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA), taking a break in 2002 to work for now-Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT).

Farrauto graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where he majored in Political Science.