First Tuesdays Strategies

Luke Byars has over 22 years of experience working with South Carolina’s top public policy makers, corporate leaders and both state and national political campaigns.

Before joining this firm, Byars served as Senator Jim DeMint’s state director and campaign manager for over 5 years. As the Senator’s top staffer in the state, Luke helped organize local business and political leaders to help build momentum for the Senator’s political initiatives. As DeMint’s right hand man in the state, Luke was able to develop strong working relationships with leaders throughout South Carolina’s state and local business community while specializing in communications and earned media for grassroots and political campaigns.

Prior to his work in the federal government, Luke was Executive Director for the South Carolina Republican Party during the highly successful 2004 Election cycle and amassed an impressive (85%) winning percentage.

Additionally, he has worked on a number of winning state legislative, gubernatorial and presidential campaigns. Selected as an Insider by National Journal Magazine, Luke offers his opinions and commentary weekly on national political news and current events.

He has also served at the top levels of South Carolina state government as Public Affairs Director for Lieutenant Governor Bob Peeler and as State Taxpayer Rights Advocate for the SC Department of Revenue. Prior to that, Luke worked at the Republican National Committee in Washington, DC as the Deputy Director of Voter Programs.

Luke was South Carolina campaign manager for the Bob Dole’s 1996 Presidential campaign and also worked at the Republican National Committee as their Deputy Director of Voter Programs in the early 1990’s. Luke has a twenty-year history working with SC reporters and editorial writers and this has helped him to wage many successful earned media campaigns.

Through it all Luke has built positive relationships and posted a proven record of creating innovative strategies to help clients achieve all of their public affairs objectives.

Warren has had an enduring impact on South Carolina politics for nearly two decades. Highly regarded as a shrewd political strategist, his advice has been sought throughout the Southeast in local, state and national races. He has over thirty years experience in providing strategic advice to political candidates, government officials, and private businesses.

Warren’s first campaign was a 1974 magistrate’s race, but it was his volunteer work for Strom Thurmond’s 1978 Senate campaign that made people take notice. His tireless efforts on the campaign won him a position as Senator Thurmond’s Statewide Coordinator of Special Events. His advice was so valued by the Reagan/Bush Campaign during the first Republican primary in South Carolina in 1980, that he was named Executive Director for the South Carolina Reagan/Bush Campaign for the general election. He later served in the same capacity for the 1984 reelection effort and as a strategist for the 1988 Bush Presidential campaign. A seasoned veteran by the age of 29, Warren was appointed Executive Director of the South Carolina Republican Party in 1981.

In 1986, Congressman Carroll Campbell turned to Mr. Tompkins to help him become South Carolina’s second Republican governor. As Governor Campbell’s Chief of Staff, he was a catalyst in one of the most successful administrations in South Carolina history. Warren was the chief architect in developing the administration’s strategy for economic development, education reform, tax cuts, environmental protection, and government restructuring. His talent for crisis management was vital in South Carolina’s recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo.

Warren began private practice in 1991, successfully providing government and legislative affairs guidance to public and private agencies, political organizations and candidates, corporations and individuals.

Warren served as the chief strategist for George W. Bush’s 2000 South Carolina presidential primary. In 2002, Warren was a general consultant to Lindsey Graham in his successful bid to fill the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Strom Thurmond.

In 2004, Warren served as an advisor to U.S. Representative Jim DeMint in his successful bid for U.S. Senate. He was also the Atlantic Region Chair of the successful Bush-Cheney ’04 campaign.

Drea Byars is South Carolina’s top political fundraiser representing a host of State and federal clients.

Some of her federal clients include United States Senator Jim DeMint, Congressmen Tim Scott (SC CD1), Jeff Duncan (SC CD3), Mick Mulvaney (SC CD5), and Trey Gowdy (SC CD 4).

She has also represented a number of State Senators and Representatives as well, including Senator Larry Grooms (Chairman of Senate Transportation Committee) and Senator Hugh Leatherman (Chairman of the Finance Committee).

Drea has worked in South Carolina for over 18 years and has built a wealth of positive relationships with the State’s top business and industry leaders.

Becky is a staple in South Carolina politics and a veteran of many statewide campaigns.

Becky was United States Senator Strom Thurmond’s last press secretary and has a great relationship with the State press corps.

Becky also has a wealth of experience leading grassroots campaigns in South Carolina in fact she has experience working on Presidential, Gubernatorial, Superintendent of Education and Lieutenant Governor campaigns here.

Most recently Becky was Political Director for Congressman Gresham Barrett’s campaign for Governor in 2010. Becky also has experience working in State government for Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer.

Taylor works specifically with social media and has mastered the utilization of FACEBOOK, TWITTER and GOOGLE applications for FTS clients.

Barrett for Governor, a FTS client, was able to grow their FACEBOOK following from 2,500 to over 9,500 in 60 days with Taylor’s help.

She understand the impact of online marketing and advertising, running many successful FACEBOOK and GOOGLE ad campaigns.

Taylor learned about grassroots campaigning while serving as an intern for former US Senator Strom Thurmond. It was there she met the local leaders and activists who are still leading the State today.

She has literally spent her life in and around State and local campaigns volunteering countless hours.

Dianne Norton has extensive lead creative and graphic design experience in both political and corporate marketing. She has been design director at First Tuesday Strategies since 2009.

She previously designed for another national political marketing and strategy firm in SC and has held design positions at the University of South Carolina as well as in Corporate Communications at Policy Management Systems Corporation.

Her designs have garnered a host of awards and recognitions on local and national levels.

Rob Yerger is First Tuesday’s residential list development specialists. He has been working as a consultant for FTS since 2007.

Rob has previously worked on both the 2000 and 2004 George W. Bush South Carolina campaigns. He also worked for the South Carolina Republican Party from 2001 to 2005.

Most recently Rob worked on the Romney for President South Carolina campaign in 2008.