Jim Merrill Email & Phone Number

Jim Merrill is one of the Granite State’s most respected public affairs professionals. He is Managing Shareholder of the Bernstein Shur office in New Hampshire while also serving as State Director of The Bernstein Shur Group. In that role, he uses his extensive public affairs experience as part of a bi-partisan public affairs firm to provide strategic, legislative, grassroots and media solutions for an array of corporate and non-profit clients facing complex challenges or seeking to take advantage of opportunities. Over the past 20 years, Jim has served as a senior advisor to the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush, Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio, helping each of them navigate New Hampshire’s historic First in the Nation presidential primary. Jim has significant State House experience as well, having served for over two years on the staff of former New Hampshire Governor Stephen E. Merrill, and afterwards at New Hampshire DHHS where he handled legislative and policy initiatives. Through that experience, Jim knows that to get results – whether at the State House, the ballot box or in the court of public opinion – a smart campaign is required. Jim’s extensive experience managing public affairs and political campaigns allows him to provide customized grassroots, coalition, legislative and media solutions for clients facing complex challenges.In 2021, Jim was recognized by New Hampshire Business Review as one of New Hampshire's 200 most influential business leaders, and is regularly sought out by local and national media for context on emerging political and public affairs issues. Jim serves on the Advisory Board of the NH Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College and is a Trustee of the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications. He is a past director of Easter Seals New Hampshire where he three times chaired the annual giving campaign; the Daniel Webster Council-Boy Scouts of America where he twice chaired the annual Distinguished Citizen of the Year event; and the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. Jim graduated from Gettysburg College in 1994 and earned his law degree from UNH Law in 2001. Specialties: Communications Consulting, Government Relations and Legislative Advocacy, Campaign Management, Business Networking, Grassroots and Coalitions Development, Public Relations, Strategic Planning and Consulting, Fundraising Consulting

Listed skills include Political Campaigns, Strategic Communications, Political Consulting, Legislative Relations, and 12 others.