Nick Ayers

James Nicholas Ayers (born August 16, 1982) is an American political strategist and consultant who served as Chief of Staff to Vice President Mike Pence between July 2017 and January 2019.

Ayers described himself as being rather taken with President Clinton and then-Governor Zell Miller, a Democrat, in the 1990s.

Ayers graduated from South Cobb High School in 2000.

In 2002, Perdue was successful in unseating Democratic incumbent Roy Barnes, making him the first Republican governor of Georgia since Reconstruction.

"When we won, I had the option of basically being the senior adviser to a governor or a freshman in college", Ayers said later.

"I chose the gubernatorial post."

In 2004 at age 22, Ayers was named manager of Perdue's re-election committee.

He was cited as one of the Republican Party's five "fastest rising stars in the nation" by the Atlanta Journal Constitution along with then-Louisiana Congressman Bobby Jindal.

Two years later, Perdue was re-elected by a 20-point margin (in an otherwise Democratic year), with Ayers having served as manager for the entire campaign.

On October 25, 2006—days before the election—Ayers was stopped by the Georgia State Patrol for failure to maintain his lane, driving 50 mph in a 35-mph zone, and suspicion of drunk driving.

Ayers himself admitted to consuming "a strong Jack (Daniels) and Coke", subsequently failed the field-sobriety test, and repeatedly refused to take a breathalyzer.

He was cited for DUI; the charges were later reduced to reckless driving.

Perdue was elected to a one-year stint as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, and he named Ayers as executive director and his longtime associate, Paul Bennecke, as political director (later given the additional title of deputy executive director).

At the beginning, Republicans were reeling from a terrible 2006 cycle, and held only 22 statehouses.

In an interview with The New Republic in 2009, Ayers said his parents instilled in him a respect for public service from an early age; he recalled that in 1992, his parents voted for Bill Clinton and Ross Perot.

He then went on to study at Kennesaw State University, where he eventually earned his B.A. in political science in 2009.

Ayers also studied international and government affairs at the University of Surrey in Guildford, United Kingdom as a part of a study abroad program.

While studying as an undergraduate, Ayers joined the College Republicans, becoming president of the school's chapter.

During this time, he met Sonny Perdue, who at the time was planning to run for governor.

Ayers was recruited by fellow College Republican Paul Bennecke to join Perdue's campaign and serve as Perdue's "body man," taking time off from Kennesaw State University to drive and provide advance for the then-State Senator.

He had initially gone to college with the goal of becoming a banker, but his role with Perdue – part assistant, part adviser, part protégé – convinced him to launch a career in politics.

"I had no interest in joining the campaign. I had my career planned out. I truly did not believe Governor Roy Barnes could be beat at the time", Ayers said.

"After 10 minutes of talking to Sonny, I was one hundred percent confident he was the right person to run this state."

Studying nights and weekends, he worked on his college diploma over the next seven years, finally earning his Bachelor's in 2009.

In 2010, Ayers was named as one of Time's 40 most influential people in politics under the age of 40.

The two young Georgians conceived an unprecedented four-year plan to professionalize the committee's operation and implement a long-range strategy, leading up to the 2010 midterm elections, when 37 Governors would be elected.

Their plan was accepted by the governors, and Ayers and Bennecke served through four gubernatorial cycles encompassing all 50 states.

By the time his tenure was over, the Governors had increased their operating budget to $135 million and the distinction of being the largest political action committee in 2010.

This success led to Ayers quickly being labeled as a rising star and a political wunderkind.

In November 2010, in the flush of RGA's victories, Ayers was touted as a potential replacement for Michael Steele as chairman of the Republican National Committee.

However, he declined to seek the position, and instead assisted Reince Priebus of Wisconsin, the RNC's Treasurer, in his campaign.

Ayers's work was interpreted as a de facto endorsement of Priebus (and rejection of Steele) by the GOP governors, several of whom reportedly instructed their RNC members to support the insurgent.

When they left in early 2011, the GOP held 29 Governorships, a net gain of seven (including Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey, Wisconsin and Virginia).

When Ayers began his tenure, the RGA was a relatively spartan operation with a budget of $20 million, and a low national profile.

He had previously served as national chairman for Pence's vice-presidential campaign in 2016, and as the former executive director of the Republican Governors Association from 2007 to 2010.

From November 2016 to January 2017, Ayers was a senior adviser to President-elect Donald Trump's transition team.

He also was principal of the lobbying firm C5 Creative Consulting, and is one of four leading figures in America First Policies, a pro-Trump nonprofit organization founded in January 2017.

In December 2018, multiple news organizations described him as a leading contender to succeed John F. Kelly as White House Chief of Staff, but he decided not to take the job.

Ayers also stated that he would leave the Trump Administration by the end of the year.

Ayers grew up in southern Cobb County, Georgia.