A Guide to Karl Rove: 6 Political Campaigns Led by Karl Rove

Karl Rove is an American Republican political consultant, strategist, columnist, and lobbyist who served as Senior Advisor to former president George W. Bush during his first term, and Deputy Chief of Staff after his reelection in 2004. Born in Colorado, Rove found his footing in politics when he attended high school in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he got into debate and ran a successful campaign for class senate.

Rove officially entered American politics in 1968, dropping out of the University of Utah by 1971 to become Executive Director of the College Republican National Committee. In 1977, he founded his political consulting firm Karl Rove and Co., which specialized in direct mail fundraising campaigns. Rove was one of the chief figures involved with turning Texas from a Democratic state to a staunch Republican party. Throughout the years, Rove would go on to advise many candidates during their presidential and congressional campaigns. His firm served clients until 1999, when he left to run George W. Bush’s presidential campaign.

After Bush’s victory, Rove took on a position as a Senior Advisor and then as Deputy Chief of Staff, where he served until 2007. After his time at the White House, he moved on to become a writer and contributor for a variety of publications and books.

Karl has advised on a number of high-profile political campaigns in his years as a consultant, from supreme court campaigns, to presidential campaigns. Here are six of Karl’s most high-profile campaign wins.

1. 1. Phil Gramm, 1984 Texas Senatorial Campaign: In 1983, Texas representative Phil Gramm switched sides of the aisle from Democrat to Republican, after having served as a Democratic representative from 1982—a campaign that Karl also consulted on. Gramm ran for Texas Senate with Karl’s help, beating out Republican Ron Paul in the primary and defeating Democrat Lloyd Doggett in the general election.
2. 2. William Clements Jr., 1986 Texas Gubernatorial Race: Following a 1982 defeat as the incumbent candidate in the Texas gubernatorial race, Karl returned to help Clements for his second run for Governor of Texas in 1986. This time, Clements defeated his opponent and became the governor of Texas for a second term.
3. 3. Thomas R. Phillips, 1988 Texas Supreme Court Appointment: Texas governor William Clements appointed Republican Thomas R. Phillips to the Texas Supreme Court in 1987, and Karl led an aggressive campaign to get the constervative justice elected to Chief Justice of the state’s Supreme Court one year later. Phillips became the first conservative Chief Justice that the state had ever elected.
4. 4. John Ashcroft, 1994 Missouri Senate Campaign: Karl’s consultancy worked with former Attorney General John Ashcroft in 1994 on his Senatorial campaign in Missouri, which Ashcroft won.
5. 5. George W. Bush, 1994 Texas Gubernatorial Campaign: Karl consulted on former President George W. Bush’s successful campaign to become the Governor of Texas in 1994, defeating the incumbent candidate Ann Richards.
6. 6. George W. Bush, 2000 Presidential Campaign: Karl closed his direct mail consulting firm to spearhead former President George W. Bush’s Presidential campaign in 1999. Although the election was mired in confusion and precipitated a recount, Bush ultimately won, marking another political victory for Karl.

Rove was known as “the architect” of Bush’s presidential campaign and later, successful presidential election. Sometimes referred to as “Bush’s Brain,” Rove played a large role in many political decisions of the administration, specifically the Iraq War. After previously aiding Bush during his gubernatorial campaigns, he officially joined the administration as a Senior Advisor after Bush’s election in 2001. In 2004, Karl became Bush’s Deputy Chief of Staff, where he remained until 2007.

After his time as a public figure in politics, Rove has dedicated his professional life to writing and political commentary. Here is some of Karl’s work as a writer, columnist, and political analyst.

1. 1. Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight (2010): In this New York Times bestselling memoir, Rove discusses his involvement in the government, his personal beliefs as a Republican, and his trajectory in American politics.
   
2. 2. The Triumph of William McKinley: Why the Election of 1896 Still Matters (2016): In this book, Rove delves into the presidency of William McKinley, who modernized his own party and was able to expand his base. Rove discusses how this ideology and strategy is seen in politics today, as well as a variety of other lessons to be learned from this president and his bold decisions.
3. 3. Fox News contributor: In 2008, Karl joined Fox News as a political contributor.
4. 4. The Wall Street Journal columnist: Karl writes a weekly op-ed for The Wall Street Journal where he frequently discusses current political events and news.

Get the MasterClass Annual Membership for exclusive access to video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Paul Krugman, David Axelrod, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Karl Rove, Jane Goodall, and more.