Topic: Steve Hildebrand

Steve Hildebrand is a Democratic political strategist based out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He was the deputy national campaign director of Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.

Hildebrand grew up in Mitchell, South Dakota. Hildebrand is openly gay.

In 2005, Hildebrand joined with Paul Tewes to form Hildebrand Tewes Consulting, a campaign consulting firm with offices in Washington, D.C. and Sioux Falls. In 2004 he was the campaign manager for U.S. Senator Tom Daschle's (D-SD) losing re-election effort against U.S. Representative John Thune (R-SD). He was also campaign manager in U.S. Senator Tim Johnson's (D-SD) winning re-election campaign in 2002 and Al Gore's 2000 Iowa Caucus victory. He has served as Executive Director of the South Dakota and Minnesota Democratic Parties and Political Director of Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. He returned to his private consulting firm following Obama's victory in the 2008 presidential election. After the election Hildebrand defended Obama against left-wing criticism of his centrist cabinet picks in a controversial commentary for the Huffington Post.