Press Release

January 31, 2024

Maggie’s List Names Lauren Zelt as Executive Director

Washington, D.C. – In preparation for a busy 2024 election cycle, Maggie’s List today named Lauren Zelt as Executive Director of the group. Sandra B. Mortham, Maggie’s List Chairman and former Florida Secretary of State, issued the following statement regarding the news:

“Our board is honored and thrilled to announce the great news that Lauren Zelt has accepted the position as our Executive Director,” said Mortham. “She has the ability to make strategic decisions when it is critical for our candidates. Not only is she incredibly talented but she is passionate about our mission to elect conservative women to office,” Mortham continued.

“I have been honored to work with Maggie’s List for several years and humbled by the promotion to executive director,” said Zelt. “Working to elect strong, conservative women to office that embody the values of fiscal responsibility, strong national security and limited government is a worthy cause that I look forward to championing in a new capacity this election cycle. For too long, men have dominated the political conversation on both sides of the aisle and I’m happy to play my part to help elect conservative women to office across the country,” she continued.

Maggie’s List is the country’s leading political action committee specifically focused on electing conservative women to public office. The organization has seen a dramatic rise in the number of conservative women running for office during the last several election cycles. In light of the #MeToo movement, women’s activism is more important than ever.

According to the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), women comprise more than 56% of all voters, but less than 27% of our representation. Maggie’s List’s mission is to equalize those numbers and empower women to take a stand and run for what they believe in.

About Lauren A. Zelt:

With nearly 15 years of experience working in the media and politics, Zelt is a sought-after professional who specializes in political strategy, earned media and campaign management. She established Zelt Communications in 2019, following her second tenure at FP1 Strategies/PLUS Communications. An alumna of two presidential campaigns, including Chris Christie for President and Romney-Ryan 2012, Zelt has also worked in the United States Senate, serving as Senator Kelly Ayotte’s press secretary and deputy communications director.

Named one of Business Insider’s 20 Female Political Strategists to Watch, Zelt has served as a television liaison at the Republican National Committee and as a guest booker at the Fox News Channel for America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Martha MacCallum, America’s News HQ and America’s Election HQ political specials. She has also held positions at CBS News and at KDKA-TV, located in her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA.

Now a proud Florida resident, Zelt is a member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network and is a National Review Institute Regional Fellow. She has appeared on Fox News, Fox Business, MSNBC, CBSN and Newsmax TV, and has been featured in The Washington Post, The Weekly Standard, The Federalist, The Hill, Roll Call, Politico, National Journal, The Tampa Bay Times and the New Hampshire Union Leader, among other outlets. Following her career as a professional ballet dancer with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Pacific Northwest Ballet, Zelt graduated cum laude from Georgetown University. She is also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. In her spare time, Zelt works as a Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Divemaster with Sail Fish Scuba and Amoray Dive Center, both located in Key Largo.

About Maggie’s List:

Maggie’s List is a federal PAC created to raise awareness and funds to increase the number of conservative women elected to federal public office. Since 2010, this national group of dedicated women have had an outstanding record for endorsing successful candidates for U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. Maggie’s List supports women candidates who stand for fiscal conservatism, less government, more personal responsibility and strong national security. For more information on Maggie’s List, please visit www.MaggiesList.org, follow @maggieslist1 and like FB.com/MaggiesList1.

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