A lifelong resident of New Jersey, Chris began his career in politics while still in college as a summer intern for Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-4) in 1994, and quickly moved on to be in a field intern for the campaign of then-NJ Assembly Speaker Chuck Haytaian for US Senate.

Upon graduating from Temple University in Philadelphia in 1995 with a degree in Political Science, Chris was hired as the Deputy Political Director at Assembly Republican Majority (ARM), where he recruited more than 1,000 Election Day workers for the Republicans’ statewide Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) effort.  In 1996, Chris served as a Media Buyer for David J. Murray Associates in Princeton, placing over $1 million in electronic and print advertising for the firm’s clients.  In 1997, Chris managed the successful State Senate campaign of then Assemblywoman Diane Allen in New Jersey’s 7th Legislative District (Burlington, Camden).

In 1998, Chris was named Executive Director of the Burlington County (NJ) Republican Committee.  Over the next five election cycles the county Republican Party never lost a countywide race and enjoyed strong gains on the local level.  As the Executive Director, Chris was in charge of the day-to-day political and grassroots operations and coordinated the efforts of the organizations’ outside consultants for polling, mail, television and research on the state legislative, county and local level – under the direction of the County Chairman.

In 2003, Chris was hired by the The Traz Group as a direct mail consultant and general strategist.  Between 2003 and 2007, Chris provided direct mail and general consulting services to Republican candidates in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan. 

In 2008, Chris won a prestigious Pollie Award from the Assoication of Political and Public Affairs Professionals for his direct mail campaign on behalf of Lehigh County (PA) Commissioner Dean Browning.  Later that year, Chris was named as one of the Top 25 political professionals in the country under the age of 35 by Campaigns & Elections Politics Magazine.

In 2008, Chris managed the nationally targeted congressional campaign of Medford Mayor and Lockheed Martin executive Chris Myers.  After winning a three-way primary with nearly 50% of the vote, Myers narrowly lost the general election to State Senator John Adler 52-48%, despite being significantly outspent in a brutal political environment for Republicans.

In 2009, Chris started his own political consulting and communications firm – Chris Russell Consulting LLC.  The firm specializes in direct mail and strategic communications for campaigns at every level of elected office.  The firm’s goal is to provide the same level of service to every client no matter how small or large the office they are seeking.  Every campaign is THE most important campaign to the candidate running.

Chris lives with his wife, Michelle, and daughter, Emma, in Jackson, NJ.  Chris is also the President of the Caitlin Elizabeth Russell Foundation, Inc., which he and his wife founded in 2006 after their firstborn daughter, Caitlin, passed away due to complications of premature birth at the age of four months.  Since its inception, the foundation has raised more than $160,000 in the fight against prematurity, and is now working with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital to fund equipment and programs to help families and their critically ill newborns in the NICU.  Chris also serves on the State Board of Directors for the March of Dimes in New Jersey.