On August 22, 1993, I picked up my last paycheck from the Speedway at I-94 and 23 Mile Road in Chesterfield Township, where I was a pretty substandard cashier. That was the last day I earned dime doing anything outside of politics.
In the roughly 23 years since then, I’ve worked on hundreds of campaigns at every level in Michigan and across the country. There’s nothing I like better than helping people win –– especially underdogs.
In 2010, I was named among Michigan’s top political influencers by Campaigns & Elections the journal of record for political professionals. In 2012, Campaigns & Elections named me one of Michigan’s Top 5 Democratic consultants.
And in 2013, I founded my own political strategy and public relations firm, DiSano Strategies, based in Lansing, Michigan. Whether I’m assisting Harry Reid’s Senate Majority PAC with TV ads or helping a candidate win her first township trustee race, I believe in giving every client the individualized attention they deserve.
Previously, I was a partner in Main Street Strategies, LLC for seven years and at Message Design Group, LLC for four years. Additionally, I served in various key staff positions for the Michigan House Democrats, working with the Black Caucus, and for Congressman John Dingell.
My Background and Family
A native of Macomb County, home to the infamous “Reagan Democrats,” I was born into a political family. I’m proud to say that I’m related to Governor Frank Murphy, however distantly.
My father, Antonio, is an Italian immigrant who built his construction business from nothing. After putting in 14-hour days at sites, he worked into the night building my childhood home in Chesterfield Township. He taught me the value of working hard and never quitting.
My mother, Bernadette, was always a diehard Democrat. She would fight with my dad to let me watch the news at night. And one time when I was horsing around with my brother around President Kennedy’s car at the Henry Ford museum, she smacked me upside the head for failing to show the proper respect.
My family taught me to stand up for what was right and never back down.
So it was an easy transition for me into the bare-knuckled political world of Macomb County. Over the years, I’ve been proud to work for causes I believe in, including public school funding, reproductive rights, labor rights and the environment.
And coming up in politics in a hotly-contested county has given me insight into the opposition that other strategists just don’t have.
I’m the first member of my family to have graduated from college in America. I received my B.A. in political science from Wayne State University in 1996, after taking several self-imposed “leaves of absence” to work on political campaigns.
I live with my wife, Inside Michigan Politics Editor & Publisher Susan J. Demas, and our two children in Okemos. My office may have photos of my family with Captain America and Star Wars stormtroopers from some of our vacations.