Mandy Grunwald

Madeleine Grunwald (born October 5, 1957) is an American professional political consultant and media advisor for the Democratic Party.

Early life and education Grunwald was born in New York City. She is the daughter of Henry Grunwald, editor-in-chief of Time magazine from 1979 to 1987 and U.S. ambassador to Austria from 1988 to 1990, and Beverly Suser Grunwald, a journalist who was a columnist at Women's Wear Daily. She is the sister of author Lisa Grunwald and movie producer Peter Grunwald. Grunwald's father was born in a non-practicing Jewish family. She grew up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and on Martha's Vineyard.

Grunwald graduated from the Nightingale-Bamford School in New York City.

Career Upon graduation she worked at the Sawyer-Miller Group in New York. Grunwald made television appearances defending Bill Clinton, In 2004, Grunwald worked for the senatorial campaign of Ken Salazar in Colorado and gubernatorial effort of John Lynch in New Hampshire, both of whom won. She also worked for Gifford Miller's Democratic primary campaign in New York City's 2005 mayoral race, who ultimately lost. Grunwald's position as a White House advisor reportedly faded after 1995, when she and others were supplanted by Dick Morris, according to The New York Times.

In 2008, Grunwald worked to elect Jeanne Shaheen and Al Franken to the Senate, the latter of whom ultimately won his race by 312 votes.

In 2010, Grunwald worked for David Cicilline's campaign for U.S. representative of Rhode Island's 1st congressional district, who at the time was the first openly gay mayor of a U.S. state capital. Additionally, Grunwald worked for Richard Blumenthal's successful Senate campaign.

In the 2012 election, Grunwald worked on the successful election campaigns for Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Tammy Baldwin, two of the toughest Senate races in the country. Baldwin defeated Tommy Thompson, a four-time governor of Wisconsin, who was favored in the Senate race and Warren defeated Scott Brown, who was the only incumbent senator to lose his seat in the November 2012 election.

In 2016, Grunwald joined Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign as a senior communications advisor.

In 2018, Grunwald again worked for Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Tammy Baldwin, as well as Senator Amy Klobuchar. She also worked for Molly Kelly’s gubernatorial campaign in New Hampshire and Kevin Lembo’s comptroller campaign in Connecticut.

In 2020, Grunwald helped Senator John Hickenlooper defeat Cory Gardner and worked for Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who was re-elected by her widest margin ever.

The New York Times has described Grunwald as "smart, tough, gruff, intensely loyal to her candidates, with an air of superiority and great certainty." The Times also wrote, "As her sister, Lisa, a novelist, wrote in Glamour magazine four years ago: 'She was older. Braver. Taller. Meaner. Stronger.'" Moreover, before Joe Klein was revealed to be the creator, Mandy Grunwald and her novelist sister Lisa Grunwald were among the authorial suspects.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States the CDC Director Rochelle Walensky turned to Mandy Grunwald for advice after communication missteps.

Personal life In 1997, Grunwald married journalist Matthew Cooper. They have a son, born in 1998.