Vanessa Nakate to Open Giving Black Conference 2026 With Climate Justice Keynote
2 weeks ago
United States Mark McKinnon has transitioned from a successful political media advisor to a prominent political commentator, producer, and reform advocate.
Mark McKinnon is a co-founder of No Labels, an organization dedicated to bipartisanship and political problem solving. This indicates his involvement in a reform advocacy group aimed at fostering cooperation across political lines.
McKinnon has worked for many causes, companies, and candidates, including President George W. Bush. He was specifically the chief media advisor to five successful presidential primary and general election campaigns, including Bush's 2000 and 2004 elections.
McKinnon worked for several candidates, including Senator John McCain. He served as the principal media advisor for McCain's presidential bid for the Republican primaries.
He worked for many causes, companies, and candidates, including the late Governor Ann Richards. This highlights his work on Democratic campaigns in Texas prior to his work with Republicans.
McKinnon has worked for many causes, companies, and candidates, including musician and philanthropist Bono. This indicates his involvement with non-political figures and philanthropic efforts.
Mark McKinnon is the co-creator, co-executive producer, and co-host of Showtime's "The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth." This is a significant role in a television production.
McKinnon consulted on the HBO series "The Newsroom." This shows his involvement in media beyond political campaigns.
He consulted on Netflix's "House of Cards." This further emphasizes his contributions to political drama and media productions.
McKinnon was a regular columnist for The Daily Beast. This highlights his role as a political commentator and media contributor.
He was a regular columnist for The Daily Telegraph (London), showcasing his reach in international media commentary.
In 2014, McKinnon launched Mayday PAC to force ethics reform in the United States Congress, along with other prominent figures. This demonstrates his active involvement in political reform efforts and campaign finance reform.
McKinnon and Julian Castro served as co-chairs of Southerners for the Freedom to Marry, an organization dedicated to overturning the same-sex marriage ban. This illustrates his advocacy for social issues.
President Bush appointed McKinnon to serve as a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, an independent entity for U.S. government-sponsored international broadcasting.
He served as vice chairman of Public Strategies, Inc., which was acquired by the international communications consultancy Hill & Knowlton Strategies.
He was a fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy (2007, 2011) and the Harvard Institute of Politics (2012). This signifies his academic engagement and expertise in political communications.
McKinnon has lectured at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and also teaches at the University of Texas’ Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.
He currently serves on the advisory board of the Austin Film Society, indicating his involvement in the arts and local cultural organizations.
McKinnon is a member of the George Foster Peabody Awards board of jurors.
He is a member of the Advisory Council of Represent.Us, a nonpartisan anti-corruption organization.
He served as vice chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Though he felt 'betrayed' by Armstrong's doping admission, he supported the board's efforts to distance the organization.
Mark David McKinnon was born on May 5, 1955, in Boulder, Colorado, and raised in Denver. His early career began in music, where he worked as a songwriter in Nashville alongside Kris Kristofferson after dropping out of high school. In 1975, he was recognized as the “New Folk” winner at the Kerrville Folk Festival. McKinnon then moved to Austin, Texas, and enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin, serving as editor of The Daily Texan from 1980 to 1981. During this period, he was briefly jailed for refusing to provide unpublished photographs of an Iranian student protest to the police, demonstrating an early commitment to First Amendment principles. He also investigated child prostitution rings in Texas, discussing his findings on public access television.
McKinnon’s political career began with Democratic campaigns in Texas. He volunteered for Lloyd Doggett’s 1984 U.S. Senate campaign, where he was promoted to press secretary. He then worked for Governor Mark White’s re-election campaign in 1985–1986 and Buddy Roemer’s campaign in 1987. After a stint with Sawyer Miller Group in New York, he returned to Texas and joined Public Strategies, Inc. in 1990, becoming its vice chairman in 1991. He worked on successful Texas Democratic campaigns for figures like Governor Ann Richards (1990), Houston Mayor Bob Lanier (2001), and Congressman Charlie Wilson. In 1996, McKinnon announced a departure from partisan politics.
He returned to politics to work for George W. Bush after developing a personal relationship with the then-Governor. McKinnon led the advertising and media team for Bush’s gubernatorial campaign in 1998 and then served as chief media advisor for Bush’s presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2004. President Bush appointed him to the Broadcasting Board of Governors. Later, McKinnon served as principal media advisor for John McCain’s 2008 Republican primary bid but chose to step away from actively campaigning against Barack Obama. He is a co-founder of No Labels, an organization advocating for bipartisanship, and has worked on political reform efforts such as Mayday PAC, pushing for ethics reform in the U.S. Congress. He co-created, co-executive produces, and co-hosts Showtime’s “The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth” and has consulted on HBO’s “The Newsroom” and Netflix’s “House of Cards.” He has also been a regular columnist for “The Daily Beast” and “The Daily Telegraph.”
Curious about our offerings or have inquiries? We're eager to assist!
Just complete the form, and we'll respond promptly.
