Biography
Fergus Cullen, 34, is a small business owner, high school coach, and newspaper columnist.
Political Experience: Fergus interned in former U.S. Sen. Bob Smith’s Washington office in 1992; worked as Deputy Press Secretary for former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland’s winning campaign in 1994 and later was an aide in the governor’s office; was a member of Sen. Phil Gramm’s NH presidential campaign staff in 1995-96; and was Finance Director for NH gubernatorial nominee Ovide Lamontagne in 1996. In 1997, Fergus was Political Director for the Connecticut Republican Party. In 1998, Fergus served as Deputy Campaign Manager for Gov. Rowland’s successful re-election campaign, directing political operations including all voter contact (broadcast advertising, direct mail, paid phones, and field organization); research and polling; administering the $6 million budget; and day-to-day campaign operations. Rowland, who trailed his opponent by 4 points in a Hartford Courant/UConn survey one year before the election, won with 63% of the vote. Campaigns & Elections magazine subsequently named Fergus a “Rising Star” of politics. In the 2000 election cycle, Fergus was a consultant to two of the most closely watched congressional races in the country, including Congressman Rob Simmons’ upset defeat of a 20-year incumbent in eastern Connecticut (CT-2).
In 2002, Fergus was the Republican nominee in the Rochester-based 6th state senate district, running a competitive race against a Democrat incumbent. Sensing an upset could happen, the NH Democrat Party challenged Fergus’s eligibility on residency grounds – Kathy Sullivan personally prosecuted the case – and the state ballot law commission ruled in her favor and removed Fergus from the ballot weeks before the November election. Fergus then managed the campaign for his replacement, Dick Green, who won and served two terms.
Communications Experience: An editorial page columnist with the New Hampshire Union Leader, Fergus has written more than 50 pieces on NH politics and other subjects since 2004. He has also been published in the Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Hartford Courant, New Haven Register, and Runner’s World magazine. He has appeared as a commentator on numerous television and radio programs, including interviews on WMUR-TV and NH Public Radio’s “The Exchange.” He has served as spokesman for statewide and congressional campaigns.
Business and Other Experience: Fergus was self-employed as a political and communications consultant from 1998-2003. Since 2003 Fergus has owned CertaPro Painters, a contracting company, where he has grown sales from $100,000 to $1.3 million in just three years while earning a 96% referral rating from satisfied customers.
A competitive distance runner with personal bests ranging from 15:23 for 5K to a 2:32 marathon, Fergus is the cross country coach at Kingswood Regional High School in Wolfeboro, where he has developed one of the top-ranked teams in the state. He has hiked the Appalachian Trail across the state, from Hanover to Gorham, and is a member of the New Hampshire 4,000 Footer Club, having climbed all 48 such peaks throughout the White Mountains. He is an elected member of the Wolfeboro Budget Committee.
A native of Laconia and proud product of Gilford public schools, Fergus is a 1994 graduate of Yale College, where his senior essay was “Reagan Delayed: The 1976 New Hampshire Presidential Primary.” He earned a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in 2002, where he was named a Littauer Fellow for academic achievement, contributions to the school, and potential in public service.