Mindy Finn

{{Infobox politician

|name = Mindy Finn

|image = Mindy Finn (506407419).jpg

|caption = Finn in 2007

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|2|10}}

|birth_place = Houston, Texas, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|spouse =

|children = 3

|party = Republican (Before 2016)
Independent (2016–present)

|education = Boston University (BA)
George Washington University (MA)

}}

Mindy Finn (born February 10, 1981){{cite news |title=Politico Playbook: T-minus 1 day to N.H. |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2020/02/10/t-minus-1-day-to-nh-488283 |access-date=June 23, 2020 |work=Politico |date=February 10, 2020 |first1=Jake |last1=Sherman |first2=Anna |last2=Palmer}}{{cite journal |last1=Shire |first1=Emily |title=You've Never Heard of Mindy Finn, But She Could Have Saved the GOP |journal=Bustle |date=November 7, 2016 |url=https://www.bustle.com/articles/193482-youve-never-heard-of-mindy-finn-but-she-could-have-saved-the-gop |access-date=June 2, 2020}} is an American digital media expert,{{cite journal |last1=Saldin |first1=Robert P. |last2=Teles |first2=Steven M. |title=The Last Anti-Trump Republicans Are Biding Their Time |journal=The Atlantic |date=May 2020 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/05/the-never-trumpers-next-move/609064/ |access-date=June 23, 2020}} political and technology consultant, and entrepreneur.{{cite news |last1=Tuttle |first1=Ian |title=Evan McMullin against the Leviathans |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2016/10/evan-mcmullins-utah-longshot/ |access-date=June 23, 2020 |work=National Review |date=October 31, 2016}} She worked as a digital strategist for the Republican Party, most notably for George W. Bush and Mitt Romney's presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008, respectively, and became the vice presidential candidate for Evan McMullin's 2016 presidential campaign. She co-founded the organizations Stand Up Republic and Empowered Women, and works to make elections more inclusive.

Early life and education

Finn was born in Houston and raised as an only child by her single mother in Kingwood, Texas.{{cite news |last1=Livingston |first1=Abby |title=Meet Mindy Finn, the Kingwood, Texas woman who is blowing up the GOP |url=https://www.chron.com/politics/election/article/The-Texas-woman-who-is-blowing-up-the-GOP-10593130.php |access-date=June 23, 2020 |work=Houston Chronicle |date=November 4, 2016 |via=The Texas Tribune}}{{cite news |last1=Maier |first1=Lilly |title=10 Truths About Mindy Finn, the Jewish, Pro-Life Texan Running for Vice-President |url=https://forward.com/news/351872/10-truths-about-mindy-finn-the-jewish-pro-life-texan-running-for-vice-presi/ |access-date=June 23, 2020 |work=The Forward |date=October 13, 2016 |issn=1051-340X}} She attended Kingwood High School, where she was a member of the drill team and National Honor Society, as well as a math tutor. Finn earned her bachelor's degree in journalism from Boston University,{{cite news |last1=Scribner |first1=Herb |title=5 things you may not know about Mindy Finn, Evan McMullin's running mate |url=https://www.deseret.com/2016/10/12/20598158/5-things-you-may-not-know-about-mindy-finn-evan-mcmullin-s-running-mate#youtube-screenshot |access-date=May 27, 2020 |work=Deseret News |date=October 12, 2016 |issn=0745-4724}} and a master's degree in political management at George Washington University (GWU). She was named a fellow at GWU's Institute of Politics, Democracy and the Internet in 2007.{{cite news |last1=Baddour |first1=Dylan |title=Houston-area native bucking the GOP, as VP running mate of independent presidential candidate |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/us/article/Houston-area-native-bucking-the-GOP-as-VP-10595611.php |access-date=July 10, 2020 |work=Houston Chronicle |date=November 5, 2016}}

Career

Early in her career, Finn was a journalist and worked as congressional correspondent for the Republican-American, a family-owned newspaper based in Waterbury, Connecticut. She started as an intern on the same day as the September 11 attacks (2001), which she covered by writing a series of front-page articles. She transitioned from journalism to politics, working on Capitol Hill for Lamar Smith and others. Finn later was a digital strategist for the Republican Party, working on operations programs for George W. Bush's 2004 presidential campaign and leading digital efforts for Mitt Romney's 2008 president campaign.{{cite news |title=What's next for Mindy Finn? |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/05/whats-next-for-mindy-finn-240205 |access-date=May 27, 2020 |work=Politico |publisher=Capitol News Company |date=July 5, 2017}} She co-founded the digital fundraising and media firm Engage with Patrick Ruffini.{{cite news |last1=Gaynor |first1=Michael J. |title=5 Questions for Vice Presidential Candidate Mindy Finn |url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2016/11/02/5-questions-for-vice-presidential-candidate-mindy-finn/ |access-date=June 23, 2020 |work=Washingtonian |date=November 2, 2016}}{{cite book |last1=O'Connor |first1=Rory |title=Friends, Followers and the Future: How Social Media are Changing Politics, Threatening Big Brands, and Killing Traditional Media |date=May 8, 2012 |publisher=City Lights Publishers |page=159 |isbn=9780872865624 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L33USenfhN8C&pg=PT159 |access-date=June 3, 2020}}{{cite book |last1=West |first1=Darrell M. |title=Air Wars |date=March 4, 2013 |publisher=SAGE |page=158 |isbn=9781452239910 |edition=6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pWyf2O-kE0sC&pg=PA158 |access-date=June 3, 2020}} During 2011–2013, she helped Twitter develop strategic partnerships in Washington, D.C. She has also completed strategic work for the Republican National Committee ({{Circa|2015}}){{cite journal |last1=Bartlett |first1=Tom |title=Rand Paul's Internet Army |journal=Politico Magazine |date=May–June 2015 |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/04/rand-paul-2016-social-media-117132 |access-date=June 24, 2020 |issn=2381-1595}} and Google.{{cite news |last1=Walshe |first1=Shushannah |title=Presidential Candidate Evan McMullin Picks Mindy Finn as Running Mate |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/presidential-candidate-evan-mcmullin-picks-mindy-finn-running/story?id=42629024 |access-date=June 2, 2020 |publisher=ABC News |date=October 6, 2016}}

Finn founded the nonprofit organization Empowered Women in 2015, which seeks to promote discussion around feminism and women's empowerment throughout the U.S. She continued as president, as of 2016.{{cite news |last1=Oster |first1=Marcy |title=NeverTrump Independent Evan McMullin Names Jewish Running Mate |url=https://forward.com/news/breaking-news/351687/nevertrump-independent-evan-mcmullin-names-jewish-running-mate/ |access-date=May 27, 2020 |work=The Forward |date=October 10, 2016}} Shushannah Walshe of ABC News described the organization as "a network to connect center-right and independent women", and Elle{{'s}} Rachael Combe called Finn "one of the few people outside of liberal circles actively organizing women under a feminist banner".{{cite journal |last1=Combe |first1=Rachael |title=Not With Her, But Not With Him: The Women Of The *New* GOP |journal=Elle |date=August 12, 2016 |url=https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a37956/the-girls-are-all-right/ |access-date=June 24, 2020}} Finn has also advocated for more women, especially conservatives, to run for office. She also was on the Democracy Fund's bipartisan National Advisory Committee in 2016.{{cite web |title= Democracy Fund Announces Bipartisan National Advisory Committee |work=Democracy Fund |url=https://democracyfund.nclud.com/idea/democracy-fund-announces-bipartisan-national-advisory-committee/ |publisher=Democracy Fund |access-date=July 10, 2020 |date=March 29, 2020}} Finn speaks about politics and technology and has appeared on media outlets such as C-SPAN, Fox News, MSNBC, and NPR.

Finn was a vice presidential candidate for Evan McMullin's 2016 presidential campaign. Finn, who previously considered herself a "lifelong" Republican,{{cite news |title=Independent US presidential candidate names Jewish running mate |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/independent-presidential-candidate-names-jewish-running-mate/ |access-date=June 3, 2020 |work=The Times of Israel |date=October 11, 2016}} distanced herself from the party under Donald Trump and other leaders, including Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan. She was an early member of the Never Trump movement,{{cite news |last1=Vogel |first1=Kenneth P. |title=Concerned by Trump, Some Republicans Quietly Align With Democrats |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/24/us/politics/republicans-democrats-coalition-trump.html?auth=login-email&login=email |access-date=July 16, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=May 24, 2018}} and helped form a political action committee to support the movement.{{cite news |last1=Daugherty |first1=Alex |title=Is this #NeverTrump vice presidential candidate the future of the Republican Party? |url=https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article109684922.html |access-date=June 23, 2020 |publisher=McClatchy |date=October 21, 2016}} She has been credited for launching the 'NeverTrump' hashtag,{{cite news |last1=Tait |first1=Joshua |title=Never Trumpers and the Future of American Conservatism |url=https://thebulwark.com/never-trumpers-and-the-future-of-american-conservatism/ |access-date=June 25, 2020 |work=The Bulwark |date=May 22, 2020}} and has been described as the "new face of the 'never Trump' Republicans".{{cite news |last1=Mandel |first1=Bethany |title=This Jewish Woman Is the New Face of the 'Never Trump' Republicans |url=https://forward.com/opinion/351761/this-jewish-woman-is-the-new-face-of-the-never-trump-republicans/ |access-date=May 27, 2020 |work=The Forward |date=October 11, 2016}} She also studied the nativism fueling Trump's rise.{{cite web |title=Stranger in My Own Country |url=https://democracyfundvoice.org/stranger-in-my-own-country/ |publisher=Democracy Fund Voice |access-date=July 10, 2020 |date=January 25, 2017}} As a candidate, Finn advocated for paid time off for women, child care improvements, and tax law simplification.{{cite journal |last1=Andersen |first1=Ericka |title=Mindy Finn's Quest for the Vice Presidency |journal=National Review |date=October 18, 2016 |publisher=Stand Up Republic |access-date=June 23, 2020 |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2016/10/mindy-finn-evan-mcmullin-vice-presidential-running-mate/}} She also supported entitlement reform efforts around Social Security.

In 2017,{{cite news |last1=Haddad |first1=Tareq |title=Former CIA Officer Labels 'America First' Policy a 'Scam' As Russian Troops Take Control of Syrian Airbase |url=https://www.newsweek.com/former-cia-officer-evan-mcmullin-labels-america-first-policy-scam-1472349 |access-date=June 23, 2020 |work=Newsweek |date=November 18, 2019}} Finn and McMullin co-founded Stand Up Republic,{{cite news |last1=Morrill |first1=Jim |title='Never Trumpers' plan to hold their own GOP convention in Charlotte in August |url=https://www.wbtv.com/2020/05/17/never-trumpers-plan-hold-their-own-gop-convention-charlotte-august/ |access-date=June 23, 2020 |publisher=WBTV |date=May 17, 2020}} which seeks to strengthen democracy in the U.S. Finn became executive director of the government accountability organization, which has chapters in eighteen U.S. states, as of 2020.{{cite news |last1=Click |first1=Nathan |title=Click: Gerrymandering is a national security concern |url=https://www.fayobserver.com/opinion/20191105/click-gerrymandering-is-national-security-concern |access-date=June 23, 2020 |work=The Fayetteville Observer |date=November 5, 2019}} Stand Up Republic has worked to defeat select Republican politicians, including Dan Bishop, Roy Moore,{{cite news |last1=Weigel |first1=David |title=Anti-Trump conservatives place $500,000 ad buy against Roy Moore |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/12/08/anti-trump-conservatives-place-500000-ad-buy-against-roy-moore/ |access-date=July 10, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 8, 2017}} Devin Nunes, and Steve King,{{cite news |last1=Harrison |first1=Steve |title=Lifelong Conservative Targets Dan Bishop Over Social Media Investment |url=https://www.wfae.org/post/lifelong-conservative-targets-dan-bishop-over-social-media-investment#stream/0 |access-date=July 10, 2020 |publisher=WFAE |date=August 19, 2019}} and supported the impeachment of Trump.{{cite news |last1=Bote |first1=Joshua |title=Anti-Trump protesters rally across the nation after impeachment acquittal |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/02/05/reject-cover-up-protests-take-place-after-expected-trump-acquittal/4668495002/ |access-date=July 10, 2020 |work=USA Today |date=February 5, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Fanning |first1=Timothy |title=Sarasota residents to join nationwide protests over acquittal of President Trump |url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20200204/sarasota-residents-to-join-nationwide-protests-over-acquittal-of-president-trump |access-date=July 10, 2020 |work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |date=February 4, 2020 |archive-date=April 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411164922/https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20200204/sarasota-residents-to-join-nationwide-protests-over-acquittal-of-president-trump |url-status=dead }} In 2020, she was named one of sixteen inaugural Brewer Fellows to Unite America, a fellowship established by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation in partnership with Cultivate the Karass and the Unite America Fund.Brewer Fellowship:

{{cite web |title=Brewer Fellowship to Unite America |url=https://woodrow.org/fellowships/brewer-fellowship-to-unite-america/info/2020-fellows/ |publisher=Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation |access-date=June 24, 2020}}
{{cite web |title=Brewer Fellowship to Unite America Launches! In Partnership with Woodrow Wilson Foundation and Unite America Fund |url=https://www.cultivatethekarass.org/brewer-fellowship-to-unite-america |publisher=Cultivate the Karass |access-date=June 24, 2020}}
{{cite web |title=Announced: Brewer Fellowship to Unite America |url=https://www.uniteamerica.org/news-article/brewer-fellowship-announcement |publisher=Unite America |access-date=June 24, 2020}} She founded and is chief executive of Citizen Data.{{cite news |last1=Finn |first1=Mindy |title=From coronavirus to George Floyd: Why a bad year for America can lead to lasting reforms |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/06/15/coronavirus-george-floyds-death-may-lead-lasting-reforms-u-s-column/3174509001/ |access-date=June 24, 2020 |work=USA Today |date=June 15, 2020 |quote=Mindy Finn is chief executive and founder of Citizen Data and co-founder of Stand Up Republic.}}

=Recognition=

Finn was named one of the "50 Politicos to Watch" by Politico in 2011. She was also included in the news organization's list of "top tweeters". Molly Ball described Finn's Twitter feed as "a cross section of her wide-ranging reading list, peppered with personal observations", and Finn had 4,650 followers, as of July 2011.{{cite news |last1=Ball |first1=Molly |title=Top tweeters |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2011/07/top-tweeters-059944 |access-date=June 24, 2020 |work=Politico |date=July 28, 2011}} For co-founding Engage, and for her work for Twitter, Washingtonian named Finn one of the "top 100 tech titans... mostly for her ability to mesh government and online strategy together". In 2013, Grace Wyler and Brett LoGiurato of Business Insider included Finn in their list of "the 50 hottest people in online politics" for her political and advocacy work on Twitter, writing, "Finn has played a key role in making Twitter the go-to social media platform in the political sphere."{{cite news |title=THE DIGITAL 50: The 50 Hottest People In Online Politics |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/digital-50-politics-tech-obama-republicans-2013-2#mindy-finn-politics-and-advocacy-twitter-22 |access-date=June 24, 2020 |work=Business Insider |date=February 21, 2013 |first1=Grace |last1=Wyler |first2=Brett |last2=LoGiurato}}

In 2017, Finn was one of eight recipients of the George Washington Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award.{{cite web |title=GW to Recognize Career Achievements of Eight Alumni |url=https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/gw-recognize-career-achievements-eight-alumni |website=GW Today |publisher=George Washington University |access-date=July 16, 2020 |date=August 14, 2017}}

Personal life

Finn is Jewish with two sons and one daughter.{{cite tweet |user=mindyfinn |number=1053386801296166918 |date=October 19, 2018 |title=Big news on the home front: our precious baby girl came into the world yesterday morning fast and in the back of an Uber en route to the hospital. We're so grateful and thrilled. May she always be so independent and fierce! }} She lives in Washington, D.C., as of 2017.