Doug Andres: National press secretary, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.)

Doug Andres is one of the best communicators on Capitol Hill and does his job the old-fashioned way: by working the hallways off the Senate floor to find out what reporters are focused on and to help put his boss’s message at the top of the conversation.

He has served as Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s (Ky.) national press secretary since April 2019 and during that time has helped guide his boss through some of the biggest political dramas of the past decade, including the two impeachment trials of former President Trump and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Andres played a leading role in guiding Republican messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic, when McConnell was at the center of the negotiations to keep the economy from falling off a cliff after health officials urged strict quarantines across the country

He works every day with reporters, fielding questions, pitching stories and shaping the narrative on Capitol Hill. He advises and helps prepare McConnell for weekly press conferences and media interviews and develops strategy for major political events, such as Supreme Court confirmation battles.

“Dougie’s been at the tip of the spear for the leader’s office for the last five years and is one of the most well-liked and respected communicators on Capitol Hill,” said Josh Holmes, a top adviser and former senior aide to McConnell. “Reporters come to him for straight talk and perspective with his trademark sharp wit. Everyone relies on him for up-to-the-minute advice on how to shape the conversation on the Hill.”

Before coming to the Senate, Andres served 11 years in the House, including three years as press secretary to then-Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), which covered President Trump’s first two years in office and the gargantuan battles over repealing the Affordable Care Act and reforming the tax code.

Andres spent a lot of time in his House leadership job on rapid response and crisis communications in a tough political environment amid internal Republican battles over major policy and political questions.

In the Senate, he has worked closely with McConnell, who is regarded as the master of disciplined messaging and not getting thrown off track by the daily media hoopla.  

Since coming to the upper chamber, Andres has rounded out his crisis communications expertise by becoming highly skilled at developing the key message and driving it every single day, just like his boss.