{{Infobox politician | name = Beth Myers | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1957}} | birth_place = North Carolina, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Republican | children = 2 | spouse = Marc Myers | education = Tufts University (BA)<br>Southern Methodist University (JD) }} '''Beth Myers''' (born 1957) is an American political consultant, campaign advisor, and attorney who has held senior positions in the political campaigns and the Massachusetts governorship of Mitt Romney, the nominee of the Republican Party for President of the United States in the 2012 election.
==Early life and career==
Myers was born in North Carolina, but spent her childhood in Ohio and upstate New York.<ref name=wpbriefbio>{{cite news|title=Who runs government: Beth Myers|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/beth-myers/gIQAuY3fKP_topic.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428235426/http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/beth-myers/gIQAuY3fKP_topic.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 28, 2012|access-date=August 16, 2012|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 17, 2012}}</ref><ref name=wprucker>{{cite news|last=Rucker|first=Philip|title=Beth Myers, longtime Romney adviser and confidante, to lead VP search|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/beth-myers-longtime-romney-adviser-and-confidante-to-lead-vp-search/2012/04/16/gIQAj72PMT_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=April 16, 2012}}</ref> After graduating from Tufts University with a degree in English in 1979, she joined Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign, becoming an early protege of Republican campaign political strategist Karl Rove.<ref name=wprucker/> Her task in the campaign was overseeing voter identification programs in rural counties throughout Texas.<ref name=wprucker/> During the 1980s she worked for the state election campaigns of Ray Shamie in Massachusetts, serving as Shamie's deputy campaign manager, and of Governor Bill Clements in Texas. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1991. After law school, she worked as a litigation associate at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer, & Feld LLP.<ref name=hablaz>{{cite news|last=Haberman|first=Maggie|title=Lazio, 'sprinting' with new staff|url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/maggiehaberman/0710/Lazio_sprinting_with_new_staff_.html?showall|newspaper=Politico|date=July 29, 2010}}</ref> Myers settled with her husband in Massachusetts, where she served as chief of staff to former state treasurer Joe Malone.<ref name=wprucker/> In 1998, she retired from politics to stay at home and raise her two young children.<ref name=wprucker/>
==Working for Mitt Romney in Massachusetts==
Myers returned to politics during Mitt Romney's 2002 campaign for the governorship of Massachusetts, in which she would play the role of the Democratic opponent during debate rehearsals.<ref name=wprucker/> After helping Romney win the governor's race, Myers served as Romney's chief of staff during his four years in office (2003–2007).<ref name=johnson>{{cite news|last=Johnson|first=Glen|title=Mitt Romney's choice of Beth Myers to lead VP search highlights his small circle of trust|url=http://www.boston.com/politicalintelligence/2012/04/17/mitt-romney-choice-beth-myers-lead-search-highlights-his-small-circle-trust/56z647zAdJfkn93k1kjyyL/story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075803/http://www.boston.com/politicalintelligence/2012/04/17/mitt-romney-choice-beth-myers-lead-search-highlights-his-small-circle-trust/56z647zAdJfkn93k1kjyyL/story.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 4, 2016|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=April 17, 2012}}</ref>
==The Shawmut Group==
On Romney's leaving the governor's office in 2006, Myers co-founded a consulting firm, The Shawmut Group, along with two other senior Romney advisors, Eric Fehrnstrom and Peter Flaherty.<ref name=wprucker/><ref name=johnson/> One of their most prominent clients has been Scott Brown, a then little-known Republican state senator whom they helped win the 2010 special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Democrat Ted Kennedy.<ref name=wprucker/> Myers has also advised Republican Rick Lazio in his unsuccessful 2010 campaign against Andrew Cuomo for the governorship of New York.<ref name=hablaz/> Mitt Romney's Free and Strong America PAC is another client of The Shawmut Group.
==2008 presidential campaign==
Myers worked closely with Romney again in 2007–08, serving as campaign manager in his bid for the presidency.<ref name=wpbriefbio/>
==2012 presidential campaign==
In April 2012, Romney announced that he had chosen Myers to lead his presidential campaign’s search to help him select a vice presidential candidate.<ref name=veepsearch>{{cite news|last=Friedman|first=Emily|title=Romney picks head of Veep search, says talks started this weekend|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/04/romney-picks-head-of-veep-search-says-talks-started-this-weekend/|work=ABC News|date=April 16, 2012}}</ref><ref name=hunt>{{cite news|last=Peoples|first=Kasie Huntsteve|title=Ryan selection shrouded in secrecy|url=http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-08-12/ryan-selection-shrouded-in-secrecy#p1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815003003/http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-08-12/ryan-selection-shrouded-in-secrecy#p1|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 15, 2012|newspaper=Businessweek|date=August 12, 2012}}</ref>
Some Romney aides described Myers as Romney's most trusted advisor.<ref name=politico50>{{cite news|title=50 politicos to watch: players in a Romney presidency|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2012/07/players-in-a-romney-presidency-078292|newspaper=Politico|date=July 12, 2012}}</ref><ref name=veepborg>{{cite news|last=Borger|first=Gloria|title=How Romney chose his running mate|url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/11/exclusive-how-romney-chose-his-running-mate/?iid=article_sidebar|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120816000809/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/11/exclusive-how-romney-chose-his-running-mate/?iid=article_sidebar|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 16, 2012|publisher=CNN|date=August 11, 2012}}</ref>
==Subsequent career==
In 2013, Myers was a signatory to an amicus curiae brief submitted to the Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage during the ''Hollingsworth v. Perry'' case.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Avlon |first1=John |title=The Pro-Freedom Republicans Are Coming: 131 Sign Gay Marriage Brief |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/28/the-pro-freedom-republicans-are-coming-131-sign-gay-marriage-brief.html |newspaper=The Daily Beast |language=en |date=28 February 2013}}</ref>
In the 2014 midterm election, Myers' son, Curt Myers, ran for Massachusetts State Representative in Brookline. He challenged Rep. Frank Smizik (D) and lost 80% to 20%.
As of December 2025, Beth Myers serves as interim co-director of the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School, alongside Ned Price, while the school conducts a search for a permanent IOP director.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-02 |title=Harvard Kennedy School names Beth Myers and Ned Price interim co-directors of the Institute of Politics |url=https://www.hks.harvard.edu/announcements/harvard-kennedy-school-names-beth-myers-and-ned-price-interim-co-directors-institute |access-date=2025-12-02 |website=www.hks.harvard.edu |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== * [https://www.theshawmutgroup.com The Shawmut Group]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Myers, Beth}} Category:1957 births Category:American campaign managers Category:American political consultants Category:Women political consultants Category:Living people Category:Mitt Romney 2012 presidential campaign Category:People associated with the 2008 United States presidential election Category:People associated with the 2012 United States presidential election Category:People from Brookline, Massachusetts Category:Southern Methodist University alumni Category:Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences alumni Category:Chiefs of staff to the governor of Massachusetts