Andrew Russo, founder and President of Farm Team Consulting, is one of California’s leading Republican political consultants at the local and regional level. He is a seasoned veteran of dozens of competitive campaigns, including congressional, legislative, county, and municipal races, as well as ballot initiatives. His non-political experience includes writing and producing television and radio programs as well as public relations, marketing, grassroots lobbying, and advertising work for national corporations, local government organizations, and lobbying firms.

A graduate of California State University, Sacramento ( B.A., 1987 ) and San Jose State University ( M.A., 1989 ), Russo served as the first Executive Director of The Lincoln Club of Monterey County. During his two-year tenure ( 1990-91 ), he developed the Club into one of the Central Coast’s most vibrant and effective grassroots Republican Party organizations, winning praise from the Pete Wilson for Governor campaign for its pivotal absentee ballot drive in 1990.

From 1992 to 1995, Russo served as Field Director for the Ranagan Agency, the primary political consulting and campaign management firm in Monterey County. Crafting successful grassroots voter contact strategies for numerous local candidates for city council, county supervisor, judge, and school board, Russo quickly gained the confidence of the area political community and was encouraged to start his own firm in 1995.

Founded in 1995, Paramount Communications matured rapidly into the Central Coast’s pre-eminent Republican political consulting firm, handling races in Santa Clara, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara Counties. Establishing a reputation for efficiency, skill, and reliability, Paramount Communications offers its clients an old-fashioned “hands-on” approach to political campaigns in an era of increased specialization in which consultants "don’t do windows".

In addition to his professional work, Russo has been heavily involved in Republican politics at the state and local level. He has served as an alternate member of the Monterey County Republican Central Committee, Associate Member of the California Republican Party, member of both the California Republican Assembly and the Monterey County Republican Assembly, Treasurer and President of the Monterey County Young Republicans, Founding Member of the Monterey County Young Americans for Freedom, and Director of the Republican Resource Center of Monterey County. He has also been a member of the American Association of Political Consultants and the Society of Professional Journalists.

A talented writer, Russo’s editorials have appeared in Human Events, Manchester ( N.H. ) Union Leader, Monterey County Herald, Monterey County Weekly, and the Ventura County Star, among others.

In his more than 15 year career in professional politics, Russo has observed the dearth of reputable Republican political consultants at the city and county level. Believing local candidates constitute the up-and-coming farm team of future GOP Assembly, Senate, and Congressional members, he has launched Farm Team Consulting to provide these candidates with campaign management services unavailable in their area.

Andrew Russo can be reached by email at: russo@farmteamconsulting.com