When Steven Law (click here) helped launch American Crossroads, one of the first super PACs to form in the wake of a landmark Supreme Court ruling that loosened restrictions on campaign finance, he thought it would be a temporary detour in a distinguished career. After all, by that point, he had served as chief legal officer and general counsel at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and deputy Labor secretary under George W. Bush.
In 2010, his efforts helped Republicans win back control of the House and cut Democrats’ majority in the Senate. With less than a year to go until the election, Law had managed to raise over $70 million on behalf of Republican candidates in critical races.Nearly a decade later, Law is still on the front lines of Republican politics, serving as the chief executive officer of four independent advocacy organizations—including Crossroads —that have reshaped the nature of political campaigns. He’s now squarely focused on helping Republicans maintain their Senate majority, with the affiliated Senate Leadership Fund providing critical reinforcements for Republican senators and candidates in competitive races.
“We originally were planning to just be around a couple cycles, but I’m proud of the fact we have built an unusually seasoned and stable team,” Law said. “We built a network of donors that understand these organizations and know what we do. I have confidence in operating principles that go well beyond me or anyone else.”
Law’s career arc mirrors the changes in the way campaigns are run these days. In 1998 and 2000, he served as executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee—at a time when most outside cash to candidates flowed directly to partisan institutions. Now Law has as much influence on the outside, raising and spending millions on behalf of GOP candidates trying to protect Mitch McConnell’s hold on the majority.
—Josh Kraushaar
