Larry McCarthy has created some of the most famous and effective TV ads in political history – “Ashley’s Story” (2004), “Saved” (2007), “Chinese Professor” (2010), “Wake Up” (2011), “Baggage” (2011), “Basketball” (2012), and Senator Mitch McConnell’s “Commercials” ad. U.S. News & World Report named “Commercials” the best ad of 2014. “Baggage” was considered the key spot in helping Mitt Romney secure the GOP presidential nomination in 2012. “Chinese Professor” was widely acclaimed for setting an ad 20 years in the future, and in a different language.
In 2024, McCarthy created the winning media for Senator John Barrasso (WY), Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, and Congressman Juan Ciscomani (AZ-6).
In 2022, McCarthy helped elect Senator JD Vance from Ohio and Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) in addition to creating media for several successful U.S. Senate and gubernatorial IE campaigns.
In 2020, McCarthy served as media strategist for two of the highest-profile Senate races in the country, helping re-elect Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) and Senator Susan Collins (ME). Collins’ comeback victory was widely heralded as one of the cycle’s best campaigns.
In 2018, McCarthy directed the media campaign to re-elect Governor Doug Ducey (AZ) and the independent expenditure campaigns supporting Governors Charlie Baker (MA) and Larry Hogan (MD). McCarthy also went 5 for 5 in ballot initiatives. All five initiatives initially trailed in the polls.
In 2016, McCarthy helped re-elect Senator John McCain (AZ) and created ads for Fighting for Ohio, the Super PAC supporting Senator Rob Portman (OH). McCarthy also wrote and produced ads for Future45 and 45Committee, which combined to air more than $30 million in ads critical of Hillary Clinton.
In 2014, McCarthy helped all three of his statewide clients win – Senator Mitch McConnell (KY), Senator Susan Collins (ME), and Governor Doug Ducey (AZ).
In 2012, McCarthy created ads for the Romney Super PAC (Restore Our Future), American Crossroads, Americans for Prosperity, Linda McMahon for US Senate, and Congressman Tom Latham (IA).
In 2010, McCarthy created the winning media for Senators in two purple and blue states – Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire and Mark Kirk in Illinois.
In 2008, both of McCarthy’s statewide races won hard-fought victories. Despite dozens of attack ads from outside groups and a self-funding opponent, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell won a decisive victory for his fifth Senate term. And in Maine, Senator Susan Collins won with what both Stu Rothenberg and Chris Cillizza said was one of the best-run campaigns in the country.
In 2005 and 2006, McCarthy created national TV ad campaigns supporting the confirmations of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito. McCarthy also created a multi-market statewide campaign for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bipartisan “Let’s Rebuild California” bond initiatives, 1A-1E. All five of the bond propositions won. (Over his career, McCarthy has created media for 25 different ballot measures, winning 84% of them).
In 2004, McCarthy produced the most widely acclaimed ad of the year – “Ashley’s Story,” for Progress for America Voter Fund, the largest conservative agenda 527. The ad was seen in 10 states and on national cable. More money was put behind “Ashley’s Story” (more than $16 million) than any other ad in American political history, and Advertising Age named “Ashley’s Story” one of the top ten ads of the year, the only political ad so honored.
McCarthy also helped guide Senator Lisa Murkowski to a come-from-behind victory in Alaska in 2004, plus Senators Susan Collins (ME) and Larry Craig (ID) in 2002, and Conrad Burns (MT) in 2000.
In 1992, McCarthy co-wrote and produced the public broadcasting documentary “Heinz: The Story of an American Family.”
In 1990, McCarthy produced the winning ads for California Governor Pete Wilson.
With co-authors Norman Ornstein and Andrew Kohut, McCarthy wrote “The People, Press, & Politics,” a book analyzing the ground-breaking Gallup typology of the American electorate (Addison-Wesley, 1988). His articles have also appeared in the Washington Post, Ad Age, Saturday Review, the Gannett Center Journal, Ameritech Magazine and Philip Morris Magazine.
Along with historian Theodore H. White, McCarthy won the national 1985 Emmy Award for Best Writing in a Documentary for the two-hour syndicated special “Television and the Presidency.” McCarthy also line produced and wrote several other programs while at Ailes Communications.
From 1981 to 1987, McCarthy was senior vice president of Ailes Communications. He served as a strategist/writer/producer for Senators Malcolm Wallop, Dave Durenberger, Phil Gramm, Gordon Humphrey, Mitch McConnell, Warren Rudman, Dan Quayle, Bob Kasten, and Al D’Amato, plus Governors George Deukmejian, Terry Branstad, and Tom Kean.
McCarthy was the Communications Director for the NRSC (1979-81), Press Secretary for Senator/Congressman John Heinz and the Heinz Senate campaign (1976-79). McCarthy worked all through college in Senator Jacob Javits’ mailroom, and later for the 1974 Javits Senate campaign.
McCarthy is a graduate of Georgetown University. He serves on the Corporate Advisory Board of So Others Might Eat (SOME), a major Washington, DC charity.
He has spoken at many universities including Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Northwestern, NYU, Georgetown, George Washington, Eastern Michigan, University of Louisville, USC, and Cal State Fullerton.