Kari Chisholm

Kari Chisholm is a co-founder and partner at Swift Public Affairs.

At Swift, Kari provides deep expertise in political and public affairs strategy, digital marketing and fundraising, crisis management, and strategic communications to Swift’s clients.

For over 22 years, Kari was the founder and president of Mandate Media, a national political consulting firm based in Oregon, serving as a digital strategist and campaign consultant to over 350 elected officials, campaigns, and organizations in 32 states, including every current Democratic member of Oregon’s congressional delegation. Kari was a senior advisor to Senator Ron Wyden’s campaign for 19 years and to Senator Jeff Merkley’s campaign for 16 years.

In 2023, Kari was one of 13 Portland residents appointed by the Mayor to serve on the Independent Districting Commission, tasked with drawing the first-ever district map as Portland transitions from at-large council members to a district-based system. That effort culminated in a 13-0 consensus decision and was widely hailed as a model for collaborative, community-based decision-making. He previously served as the co-chair of the citizens’ commission for redistricting Oregon’s Metro Council in 2001.

In addition, Kari has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Chicago, teaching a graduate-level course in digital media policy and politics at the Harris School of Public Policy.

Kari graduated in political science from the University of Southern California, where he served in the student government and was named “Most Spirited Trojan” twice. College football fans across the country know Kari as an expert on the voting procedures for the Heisman Trophy, accurately predicting the winner twelve years in a row.

Kari and his wife, Carrie Wynkoop, are the founders of Cellar 503, an Oregon wine club, and AVP Wine Collective, a winery dedicated to supporting up-and-coming winemakers in Oregon. They, and their son Jake, live in Portland, Oregon.