Bob Holste (PA '83)

Deputy Director, Government Relations, Pew Charitable Trusts

1983 Truman Scholar, 108th Congress Stennis Fellow

With over 25 years of campaign and management experience at every level of government from the Courthouse to the White House, Bob Holste (PA '83) is widely respected as one of the top campaign professionals in the country. 

In the critical 2002 reapportionment election, Holste was tapped by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) to run its Incumbent Retention effort in 26 states – including national targets as diverse as Iowa, New Hampshire, Connecticut,Mississippi, and Pennsylvania. Despite the twin burdens of reapportionment and the long historical pattern that the party in power always loses seats in the mid-term elections, Holste achieved a near perfect re-election record and as a result, House Republicans picked up seats in Congress.

In 2004, Holste returned to the NRCC where he was responsible for defending GOP incumbents running in the most challenging House races across the nation.  In the 25 states which Holste was responsible for defending Republican members, only one incumbent was defeated while 48 targeted GOP members won reelection, many in close races, garnering Bob another near perfect win record.

A consummate Hill professional of vast and substantial experience, Bob Holste served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Rep. Phil English (1995-2008).  This was after Bob engineered the English victory in a seat specifically gerrymandered to elect a democrat, making English one of the few Republicans in the nation to hold a seat which had actually been carried by Mike Dukakis. 

While on Capitol Hill, Holste was elected by a bipartisan group of his peers to serve as President of the House Chiefs of Staff Association, a position he held for an unprecedented three terms. 

Prior to his work in Washington, Holste had extensive experience in Pennsylvania government and elections where he worked on and consulted with numerous statewide and local campaigns.  His tenure in Pennsylvania also included extensive service as an Administrative Officer in the Pennsylvania Treasury Department and as the Director of the Office of Policy and Planning in the Office of Attorney General.

Bob is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including being selected for a Stennis Fellowship during his time on the Hill and most recently was named the winner of the prestigious Elmer Staats award by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation in recognition of his vast and successful career in politics and public service.