Brian Zuzenak, Executive Director of the Missouri Democratic Party

by: Michael Bersin

Tue May 19, 2009 at 08:44:30 AM CDT

Brian Zuzenak was recently appointed Executive Director of the Missouri Democratic Party. I spoke with him last week at the state party headquarters in Jefferson City:

Show Me Progress: So, you've started your tenure here just a few days ago. And you, you've had previous experience in Missouri politics?

Brian Zuzenak: I have. I start, I actually started my career in politics here. Actually, while I was still in college down at Missouri State. And worked on my first legislative race in 2000 for a, it was a, open seat, open state House seat in Springfield that we were probably not, I, it was, it was, very, one of those toss up districts, this was before redistricting. It was a decent seat for us, but were running, unfortunately we were running against the former incumbent who had come back to take the seat back. And, and, you know, I didn't really, [laugh] I didn't really know what I was doing at all. I was trying to finish college and I had done an internship up at the capitol for Representative Liese in the, during session. And had gone back to school and really enjoyed politics and sort of got bit by the political bug. Probably not for the first time, but sort of the first time I really became engaged in politics. And went back and had the opportunity to run that, that House seat, We were unfortunately, came up short by a couple of points...