Betsy Ankney, Executive Director, Stand for America PAC 

Betsy Ankney is a political operative with over a decade of experience on tough campaigns. She has been involved in campaigns at the state and local level and has played a role in some of the biggest upsets in Republican politics. Ankney managed the successful reelection of Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson in one of the toughest races and biggest upsets of the 2016 cycle. She helped take the race from a double-digit deficit to a victory of 100,000 votes, outperforming the top of the ticket.

For her work on Ron Johnson’s race, Ankney was named “Campaign Manager of the Year” by the American Association of Political Consultants for 2016. In 2018, Ankney took on another tough race – Governor Bruce Rauner’s reelection campaign in Illinois, where she successfully navigated a primary challenge from a well-funded insurgent candidate. She managed a budget of $75 million and a staff of 90 and oversaw the largest field organization in Illinois history, with over 11 million voter contacts made.

Ankney served as the Political Director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 2020 cycle. She advised senate campaigns across the country, working directly with candidates and their campaigns on budgets, messaging, and fundraising. She served as the quarterback for the Georgia Senate runoff elections, managing the budget, field operations, and coordination between the two campaigns and national party committees. She got her start in politics at the 2008 Republican National Convention.

Ankney is from Toledo and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Business from Vanderbilt University.

Ankney spoke at the March 2021 training session.