Michael Soliman is a Managing Director at Mercury, working out of the New Jersey and Washington, DC offices. A fixture of the PolitickerNJ Power List for the past five years and previously selected as an influencer by Campaigns & Elections Magazine, Mr. Soliman has emerged as both a trusted senior advisor to US Senator Robert Menendez as well as a top Democratic operative. He brings to Mercury a lifetime of experience in campaign management, government relations and strategic communications that offers clients creative solutions to their most pressing problems. Since 2007, Mr. Soliman has served as Senator Menendez’s State Director and New Jersey Chief of Staff. Mr. Soliman’s responsibilities included managing the Senator’s staff in New Jersey and acting as principal liaison between Senator Menendez and New Jersey’s business leaders, State Legislature, county executives and mayors, for all of New Jersey’s 21 counties and 566 municipalities. Mr. Soliman also worked hand-in-hand with the Senator’s DC-based staff mapping out legislative priorities. He left his post temporarily in 2012 to manage the Senator’s successful re-election campaign. Mr. Soliman led the coordination of all facets of the multi-million dollar campaign; including the communications, fundraising, advertising, polling and grassroots divisions. Senator Menendez won the election by 20 points, thereby solidifying his rise to become Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and a senior member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. Previously, Mr. Soliman served as the District Director for US Congressman Steve Rothman. He ran the Congressman’s district offices in Hackensack and Jersey City where he managed day-to-day operations including community outreach and constituent support. During his career in public service, he has also advised the campaigns of the late Senator Frank Lautenberg, former Governor Jon Corzine and Congressman Bill Pascrell. Mr. Soliman began his career working on the campaigns of various Democratic elected officials, including Mayor Glenn Cunningham of Jersey City and state Senator Bob Gordon. Born, raised and educated in New Jersey, he earned a BA in Political Science from St. Peter’s University in 2001 and his Masters of Public Affairs and Politics from the Bloustein School at Rutgers University in 2006. Mr. Soliman is a frequent guest lecturer. Highlights include speaking at his undergraduate alma mater as well as at the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics. He resides in Wayne, NJ and is currently planning a wedding in 2014 with his fiancée, Karen