Mark Zuckerberg for President? Facebook CEO Hires Democratic Pollster, Fuels Speculations He Is Running for Office
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has enlisted the services of a Democratic pollster who worked on Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. The move fueled speculations that Zuckerberg might be running for president in 2020.
According to Politico, Zuckerberg hired Joel Benenson from the Benenson Strategy Group. He will be tasked to do research for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the philanthropic organization that Zuckerberg established with his wife Priscilla Chan.
Benenson did not comment on reports of his hiring but a spokesperson for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative acknowledged this in a press statement.
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"As a philanthropic organization focused on a number of substantive issues including science, education, housing and criminal justice reform, any research efforts we undertake is to support that work," the spokesperson said.
Zuckerberg stated more than once that he has no interest in running for public office. Hiring Benenson's consultancy firm, however, has been seen as a political move in the areas of science, education, housing and criminal justice reform that require policy making and political maneuvering.
Since establishing his charity, Zuckerberg also hired former President Barack Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, as president of policy and advocacy. The Facebook CEO also brought in Amy Dudley to sit in the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative board. Dudley worked as an adviser to Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia.
Zuckerberg has also been going around America to mingle with small town folks and discuss "economic mobility" as he revealed in a Facebook post. Photographer Charles Ommanney follows Zuckerberg during his visits to these various states. Ommanney was the official photographer during Obama's presidential campaign.
Meanwhile, a group of Zuckerberg supporters has already launched a campaign to convince the Facebook boss to run for president. Called Disrupt for America, the spokesperson for the political action committee told Fortune that they find Zuckerberg "measured and sensible." The group is based in Houston and will soon establish offices in Washington, D.C. and California to expand their cause.
