Karoline Leavitt Explained

Karoline Leavitt
Birth Date:24 August 1997
Birth Place:Atkinson, New Hampshire, U.S.
Party:Republican
Education:Saint Anselm College (BA)

Karoline Leavitt (born August 24, 1997)[1] is an American political aide who previously served as an assistant press secretary and presidential writer during the Donald Trump administration. In 2022, she ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in New Hampshire's 1st district, becoming the second member of Generation Z to win a congressional primary. She lost the general election to incumbent Chris Pappas.[2] She currently serves as the national press secretary for Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.[3]

Early life and education

Karoline Leavitt was born and raised in Atkinson, New Hampshire.[4] Her family owned a local ice cream shop and a used truck dealership in Plaistow, New Hampshire. She attended Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts and then pursued higher education at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire,[5] where she earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications and political science; she also played NCAA Division II college softball.[6] [7] Leavitt worked at Hearst Television WMUR-TV while in college.[8] [5]

Career

Leavitt began her career as a summer intern in the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence prior to her senior year in college. Upon her graduation she took a job in the correspondence office before joining the White House Press Office as an assistant press secretary under Kayleigh McEnany.[9] Following the conclusion of the Trump administration she was hired as the communications director for U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik from New York.[10] [11]

Congressional campaign

In 2022, Leavitt announced her candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives, running as a Republican in .[12] She notably ran against 2020 nominee Matt Mowers, former Executive Councilor Russell Prescott, journalist Gail Huff Brown, and State Representative Tim Baxter. The final poll before the primary showed Leavitt losing to Mowers by two points.[13] Leavitt won the primary by about 10 points. Her victory in the Republican primary made her the second member of Generation Z to win a congressional primary after Maxwell Frost who did so the previous month. Her campaign focused on conservative values, economic growth, and support for law enforcement.[14] She emphasized her commitment to protecting Second Amendment rights, reducing taxes, and opposing government overreach.[15] [16] Leavitt lost in the general election to incumbent Chris Pappas by 8.2% of the vote.[17] Leavitt declined to run in the 2024 election[18]

Personal life and positions

Leavitt grew up in a Catholic household, and she is an outspoken advocate for private education and a "fearless pro-life advocate."[19] [20] Leavitt is known for her strong conservative stance on various issues. She advocates for limited government, lower taxes, and deregulation to promote economic growth. She is a vocal supporter of the Second Amendment and gun rights. Additionally, Leavitt emphasizes the importance of securing the U.S. borders and implementing strict immigration policies.[20]

Notes and References

  1. News: Birthday of the Day: Karoline Leavitt, White House assistant press secretary . 24 August 2020 . 26 June 2024. Politico . 26 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240626013621/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/24/playbook-birthday-karoline-leavitt-400593 . live.
  2. Web site: Cohen . Li . 2022-09-14 . 25-year-old Karoline Leavitt becomes first Republican Gen Z congressional nominee after winning New Hampshire primary - CBS News . 2024-06-29 . www.cbsnews.com . en-US.
  3. News: Singman . Brooke . Karoline Leavitt to join Trump super PAC as spokeswoman . 3 April 2023 . 26 June 2024 . . 26 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240626041534/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/karoline-leavitt-join-trump-super-pac-spokeswoman . live.
  4. Web site: Burt . Bill . 2020-11-28 . Meet the assistant press secretary . 2024-06-29 . Eagle-Tribune . en.
  5. News: Iowa State University: Archives of Women's Political Communication . 26 June 2024 . 26 June 2024 . awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu . 26 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240626014818/https://awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu/directory/karoline-leavitt . live.
  6. News: Ballotpedia: Karoline_Leavitt . 26 June 2024 . 26 June 2024 . Ballotpedia . 26 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240626015957/https://ballotpedia.org/Karoline_Leavitt . live.
  7. News: The Unexpected Way that a Trump Loss Could Be the End of US . 28 May 2023 . 26 June 2024 . . 26 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240626023059/https://www.huckabee.tv/guests/karoline-leavitt . live.
  8. News: Fox News: Karoline_Leavitt . 26 June 2024 . 26 June 2024 . . 26 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240626021257/https://www.foxnews.com/person/l/karoline-leavitt . live.
  9. News: Sotomayor . Marianna . 2022-11-03 . Karoline Leavitt wants to be Gen Z’s conservative voice in Congress . 2024-06-29 . Washington Post . en-US . 0190-8286.
  10. News: Lahut . Jake . 13 September 2022 . Stefanik-Backed Candidate Wins MAGA World Face-Off in New Hampshire . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240626024634/https://www.thedailybeast.com/elise-stefanik-backed-candidate-karoline-leavitt-wins-maga-world-face-off-in-new-hampshire . 26 June 2024 . 26 June 2024 . The Daily Beast.
  11. Web site: 2022-10-30 . Leavitt, 25, cites youth in bid to be youngest congresswoman . 2024-06-29 . AP News . en.
  12. News: Wang . Amy . Who is Karoline Leavitt, GOP nominee for U.S. House in N.H.? . The Washington Post . September 14, 2022 . June 26, 2024 . June 26, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240626030954/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/14/leavitt-new-hampshire-republicans-trump/ . live.
  13. https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1702&context=survey_center_polls
  14. News: Callery . Tim . Candidates make final pitches to voters ahead of Election Day . 8 November 2022 . 26 June 2024 . . 26 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240626034048/https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-candidates-final-pitches-election-2022/41892903 . live.
  15. News: Enstrom . Kirk . 1st District Rep. Chris Pappas, Karoline Leavitt clash in fiery debate . 3 November 2022 . 26 June 2024 . . 26 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240626033519/https://www.wmur.com/article/leavitt-pappas-new-hampshire-1st-district-debate/41861236 . live.
  16. News: Enstrom . Kirk . US Rep. Chris Pappas projected to defeat Republican challenger Karoline Leavitt to win a third term . 9 November 2022 . 26 June 2024 . . 26 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240626034915/https://www.wmur.com/article/chris-pappas-karoline-leavitt-nh-election-2022/41905917 . live.
  17. News: 2022-11-08 . New Hampshire First Congressional District Election Results . 2024-06-29 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  18. Web site: Daily Kos Elections Live Digest: 8/14 . 2024-07-07 . Daily Kos . en.
  19. News: Bookman . Todd . It may be her first campaign, but the building blocks of Leavitt’s politics were laid years ago . 19 October 2022 . 26 June 2024 . . 26 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240626040214/https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2022-10-19/it-may-be-her-first-campaign-but-building-blocks-of-leavitts-politics-were-laid-years-ago . live.
  20. News: McCormack . Kathy . 30 October 2022 . Leavitt, 25, cites youth in a bid to be the youngest Congresswoman . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240626040615/https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-inflation-donald-trump-51418003338eb89abfbfc6aac6909abd . 26 June 2024 . 26 June 2024 . Associated Press.