Roger Lau (born in 1977) is an American political consultant who served as the campaign manager for Elizabeth Warren's 2020 presidential campaign.[1][2] Lau is the deputy executive director of the Democratic National Committee.

Roger Lau
Deputy Executive Director of the Democratic National Committee
Assumed office
February, 2021
Preceded byVacant
Personal details
Born1977 (age 46–47)
New York City, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of Massachusetts, Amherst (BA)
Roger Lau
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLiú Wěi
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingLau4 Wai3

Early life

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Lau was born in Woodside, Queens, New York to parents from Guangzhou, China. He has two brothers. His parents worked many jobs including driving instructors, takeout restaurant owners, etc. He attended the Bronx High School of Science but dropped out. After receiving a GED, he went to the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he majored in political science and minored in Chinese. While at UMass, he interned for John Kerry. Lau graduated in 2000, and planned to return to New York; instead he was hired by John Kerry's staff and asked for a job working with constituents.[3]

Career

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Lau started his career working with Kerry, including his 2004 presidential campaign. While working on the campaign, he met former United States president Bill Clinton and United States Senator Hillary Clinton, for whom he now provides consultancy on Massachusetts-related politics.[3] He also worked on Kerry's Senate 2008 re-election campaign.

Lau briefly worked in the United States Department of Commerce for President Barack Obama.[4]

After the death of Ted Kennedy and the Democrats’ loss of the Senate seat in the subsequent special election, Lau led the victorious 2012 Senate campaign of Elizabeth Warren. He would then serve as her state director and later go on to manage her 2020 presidential campaign.

In 2021, Lau was named Deputy Executive Director of the Democratic National Committee.[5][6]

Personal life

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Lau is partnered with Amanda Coulombe, a political field organizer who emphasizes technology, and they reside in Somerville, Massachusetts.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Lee, MJ (13 February 2019). "Elizabeth Warren taps Roger Lau as campaign manager". CNN. The appointment is also a historic one: Lau appears to be the first Asian-American campaign manager for a major American presidential candidate -- particularly notable in an election that already features an unprecedentedly diverse field of candidates.
  2. ^ "Faiz Shakir: Finally, a South Asian American at the helm of a presidential campaign". The American Bazaar. 2019-02-20. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  3. ^ a b c Metzger, Andy (January 2019). "The steady hand". Commonwealthmagazine.org.
  4. ^ Korecki, Natasha (13 February 2019). "Warren names 2020 campaign manager". Politico.
  5. ^ Bowker, Brittany (Feb 24, 2021). "DNC announces several new hires, including Roger Lau, a former Elizabeth Warren staffer". MSN.com. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  6. ^ "Biden shifts his operation to DNC ahead of 2022 midterm elections". Washington Post. Feb 23, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021.