Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Tufts Daily (TD): First of all, welcome back to campus! What does it mean for you to be back at Tufts?
Louisa Terrell (LT): It is lovely to be here. For me personally, this is the place I became myself. It was where I got that kernel of starting to really think about politics and policy in a different way.
TD: What drew you to a career in politics? Are there any classes or other experiences at Tufts that helped lead you toward this path?
LT: With American Studies, you could weave in a lot of interesting topics … and intellectually see the interconnectivity between a lot of strands of different academic thought. There’s a way in which politics is that same concept of weaving together a lot of pieces, and I felt like I learned some of that and came to appreciate that as well suited for me.
TD: As Director of Legislative Affairs for the Biden administration, you helped pass landmark bills including the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. What was your approach to getting legislation passed and working across party lines in such a divided Congress?
LT: You really have to invest in relationships across the aisle from the very beginning. When I got the job, one of the first things I did was make sure I literally went door to door to every Republican up on the Hill. There were going to be lots of Republicans that we were never going to have any consensus points with, but it was also just a sign of respect to say that the president was here to advance an agenda for all Americans, and that our door was open to figure out where there are ways that we could work together.
I think to have really good bipartisan discussions with an end result, you have to live by your word. It was important in those environments that, as a team, we were always really clear on what we could deliver and what we couldn’t deliver.
TD: You are currently a senior advisor for the Harris campaign. In your opinion, what are the most important elements of a successful presidential campaign?
LT: A successful campaign has a theory of “the case.” [It] has touchstones of who the candidate is, how she describes herself and yet, at the same time, it can also be nimble. I think Vice President Harris has a very clear-eyed message about who she is and the kind of vision she wants for our country, and she stays clear about that, but the campaign itself is really nimble about how they’re delivering that message. So you’re nimble in what platforms [you use] and how you’re reaching voters, but you’re also not switching messages all the time. You’re really clear and organized and driving some anchor messages.
TD: What have you found most rewarding about your role advising the Harris campaign?
LT: The people are remarkable. You get this cross-section of people that have never worked on a campaign before and are doing seemingly entry-level jobs, but are so excited and committed … super genius people that I could never in a million years think and strategize and analyze the way they do. I feel motivated by this moment in time where all these people come together and think about their commit[ment] to making a difference. There’s something about a campaign that is sort of 24/7. People put aside everything else and are singularly focused on this. It’s just a privilege of a lifetime to be part of that in some way.
TD: President Biden and many others often praise you for your leadership. What makes a good leader?
LT: Being really comfortable in what you don’t know and having people around you that are smarter than you — and that’s a hard thing to do sometimes. I was taught, “Do all you can to try and be smart,” … but there’s also a comfort in saying, “I don’t have to be the best at any of these things or prove anything.” What I really need is to create an environment where people want to work together that are smarter and better than me and know things that I don’t, and that we can come together and find space and ways that they feel valued and seen … and come up with great solutions together. Being a good leader is just being really comfortable with that, and humility and admitting when you screw up.
TD: What’s your favorite story from your time in the White House?
LT: When you do the State of the Union, it’s a very short motorcade, because you’re just motorcading from the White House up Pennsylvania Avenue. … You do this drive, and then you pull up, and it’s really beautiful in front of the Capitol, and then you are in the chambers. … It’s both alternatively rowdy and almost irreverent, and then all kind of pristine. You get this sense of history. With Biden in particular, we would always come back, and there would be this cheering and “rah rah” after it was done, and this moment of joy afterwards. You understood you were just a speck in these big institutions.
TD: What advice would you give to students thinking about pursuing a career in government or public policy?
LT: Do it because it’s really fun — that would be my first thing. I think it is good to have a broad perspective about where you can do politics and policy. One of the things I’ve observed in this latter half of my career is being really energized, motivated and inspired by some of the things that are happening at the state level. When you’re thinking about wanting to do politics and policies, take a moment to take a gander about stuff that’s having at a state house, in a state legislator, in a governor’s office, in a lieutenant [governor's] office who maybe is an up and comer.
In this world, you’re just kind of moving around a lot, so you need continuity. Make sure you have your mentors. … Use them as your continuity as you move through trying to taste a lot of different things and understanding politics and policy in different formats.
TD: And finally — if you could paint a message on the Tufts cannon tonight, what would you write?
LT: Don’t quit. Don’t be too cool for school. Don’t opt out. … Don’t quit on this process. Don’t quit on people. There are some politicians that are not going to inspire you, and there are some that [will]. The systems are gonna feel bureaucratic, inauthentic … Just don’t quit on us.
