James Carville, America's best-known political consultant, has managed more political campaigns than any person in U.S. history. Throughout his extensive list of electoral successes, Carville has shown a knack for steering overlooked campaigns to unexpected landslides and turning political underdogs into upset winners.
Carville's winning streak began in 1986, when he managed the gubernatorial victory of Robert Casey in Pennsylvania. A loser in three previous attempts, Casey defeated popular Lieutenant Governor William Scranton, Jr., that year in an amazing come-from-behind triumph. In 1987, Carville helped Wallace Wilkinson, a candidate with less than 1% of the vote in early polls, win a hard-fought Democratic nomination over Kentucky Fried Chicken owner, John Y. Brown. Under Carville's tutelage, Wilkinson went on to win the Governorship of Kentucky.
1988 brought Carville to New Jersey, where, by a margin of 54% to 46%, he steered Frank Lautenberg to the United States Senate over Rhodes Scholar and Heisman Trophy winner Pete Dawkins, the youngest man to reach the rank of General in the modern U.S. Army. Carville next managed the successful 1990 gubernatorial campaign of Georgia's Lt. Governor, Zell Miller, including a tough primary win over Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young.
Long renowned for his campaign prowess in political circles, Carville drew national attention in 1991 when he guided Senator Harris Wofford from a 40 point deficit to a landslide victory over former Pennsylvania Governor Richard Thornburgh. Continuing his run of success, Carville moved onto to undertake his largest campaign to date, the 1992 Presidential run of William Jefferson Clinton. In November of that year, Carville added his crowning achievement to his young political career as President-Elect Clinton soundly defeated incumbent President George Bush.
In 1993, Carville was honored as Campaign Manager of the Year by the American Association of Political Consultants for his leadership of Clinton's fierce and intense Little Rock campaign headquarters, dubbed the "War Room." This role also made him the focus, along with George Stephanopoulos, of the feature length and Academy-Award nominated documentary The War Room.
Following the Clinton victory, Carville began concentrating on foreign and corporate consulting. From 1992 to the present, he has worked as a consultant for the Liberal Party of Canada and to senior members of English Prime Minister Tony Blair's staff. Further, he has worked as a political advisor for Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis and has managed campaigns for Brazilian President Fernando Enrique Cardoso, Honduran Prime Minister Carlos Flores, Ecuadorian President Jamil Mowad, and Sao Paolo Mayor Celso Pitta, the first African-American to hold that office.
In 1999, Carville led Ehud Barak to victory over incumbent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also consulted with Hipolito Mejia, newly elected President of the Dominican Republic as well as Francisco Labstida for the presidency of Mexico.
When not consulting, Carville freelances as an author and speechwriter. Along with his wife, Mary Matalin, who was the Deputy Campaign Manager of George Bush's 1992 Presidential campaign, Carville co-authored, the highly successful All's Fair: Love, War, and Running for President. Carville's second book surpassed the lofty success of All's Fair. The book, entitled We're Right, They're Wrong: A Handbook for Spirited Progressives became a #1 bestseller that spent six months on The New York Times bestseller list. Carville then set his sights on the Presidential impeachment proceedings and the Office of Independent Counsel in the critically acclaimed expose, And the Horse He Road In On: The People vs. Kenneth Starr, which peaked at #3 on The New York Times bestseller list. His latest book, entitled Stickin', which deals with his views on loyalty and his defense of President Clinton was released in January 2000.
James Carville resides with his wife, two daughters, and their three Cavlier King Charles Spaniels in Virgina.