Chris LaCivita

Christopher J. LaCivita (born 1966) is an American political consultant, and president of the firm Advancing Strategies LLC. He was formerly with Crosslink Strategy, a conservative lobbying and political consulting firm founded by former John McCain advisor Terry Nelson. LaCivita is often mentioned for his role as media advisor to the Swift Boat Veterans, an independent-expenditure group active in the 2004 presidential election.

LaCivita was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, but grew up in the Richmond, Virginia area, graduating from Midlothian High School. He received his bachelor's degree in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1989. He joined the US Marine Corps and was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds received while serving in the Persian Gulf War in 1991. Afterwards, he taught part-time at Regent University.

Active in Republican politics following his Gulf War service, LaCivita did field work for George F. Allen in central Virginia during his 1991 congressional campaign, then went with him to Capitol Hill, serving as a legislative assistant on foreign and defense policy. When Allen ran for governor in 1993, LaCivita organized in the Richmond area, Southside and central Virginia, then was appointed to serve as an assistant secretary of administration.

He left state service in 1995 to help run Allen's political action committee, assisting legislative races that year (wherein the GOP captured a tie in the State Senate). LaCivita was named executive director of the Republican Party of Virginia in 1996, after Allen's allies won control of the RPV. LaCivita ran the party as James S. Gilmore succeeded Allen as Governor in 1997, acting as overseer of internal partisan squabbles, but going on later to capture control of both houses of the General Assembly in 1999.

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