Timothy Kraft facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tim Kraft
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| White House Director of Political Affairs | |
| In office April 28, 1978 – August 10, 1979 |
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| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Sarah Weddington |
| White House Appointments Secretary | |
| In office January 20, 1977 – April 28, 1978 |
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| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Warren S. Rustand |
| Succeeded by | Phil Wise |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 10, 1941 Noblesville, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | January 21, 2024 (aged 82) Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Molly Kraft |
| Education | Dartmouth College (BA) Georgetown University |
Timothy E. Kraft (April 10, 1941 — January 21, 2024) was an American political expert. He helped politicians run their campaigns. He is best known for managing the campaign of U.S. President Jimmy Carter. This was during Carter's try for reelection. In September 1980, he stepped down from his role.
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Tim Kraft's Early Life
Tim Kraft was born in Noblesville, Indiana. His father was a children's doctor. His family strongly supported the Democratic Party. He grew up in Muncie, Indiana. This area usually voted for the Republican Party.
Education and Early Work
In 1963, Tim graduated from Dartmouth College. He studied government there. From 1963 to 1965, he worked for the Peace Corps in Guatemala. The Peace Corps helps people in other countries. He also worked part-time for U.S. Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana.
Later, in 1966 and 1967, Tim studied Latin American topics. He did this at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.. After his studies, he worked on different political projects.
Working in Politics
Tim Kraft started working in political campaigns in 1970. His first job was for Jesse Unruh in California. Unruh was trying to become governor. He lost to Ronald W. Reagan.
Moving to New Mexico
Tim then moved to New Mexico. In Santa Fe, he became the leader of the state's Democratic Party. He had to raise money for his job. In 1974, he helped Jerry Apodaca get elected as governor. Apodaca was in a close race. While working there, Tim met Jimmy Carter. Carter was then the governor of Georgia.
Helping Jimmy Carter Win
In 1975, Tim joined Carter's team for the 1976 presidential campaign. He helped organize the campaign across the country. He also helped Carter get money for his campaign. This money helped Carter qualify for federal funds.
Tim played a big role in the Iowa caucuses. These are early voting events. Carter finished second but was seen as a winner. This helped him win important primary elections later. Tim also helped Carter win in New Hampshire, Florida, and Pennsylvania.
Tim even offered Bill Clinton a job. Clinton was later governor of Arkansas. He offered Clinton the job of managing Carter's campaign in Texas. But Clinton chose to work in Arkansas instead. Hillary Clinton also worked for the Carter-Mondale campaign.
Working in the White House
After Carter became president, he gave Tim an important job. Tim was his appointments secretary from 1977 to 1978. This meant he managed Carter's schedule. Then, Tim became an assistant to the president. He helped with staffing and political plans.
In 1980, Tim left his government job. He became the manager for Carter's national campaign. Carter was running against Ronald Reagan. Tim was known for being good with political details. He helped create a group called "Hispanic American Democrats." This group worked to get more Hispanic people to vote.
Tim worked with Robert Schwarz Strauss. Strauss was in charge of the Democratic National Committee. He helped raise money and connect with party leaders.
Later Political Work
In the 1980s, Tim started his own company, Avanti Ltd. He became a political advisor for campaigns in Latin America. He had learned a lot about this area from his time in the Peace Corps. In 2003, he helped former Governor Howard Dean of Vermont. Dean was trying to become the Democratic candidate for president in 2004.
Retirement
In 2004, Tim Kraft lived in Corrales, New Mexico. Another former politician, Fred R. Harris, also lived there.
By 2008, Tim was retired. He lived with his wife, Molly, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Tim said he missed the excitement of politics. He wished he could still be involved in campaigns. He sometimes wrote articles for the Albuquerque Journal newspaper.
