As an alumnus of the University of Utah’s economics program, Kurt Bagley has a distinct memory of his professor teaching him that “economics could solve many problems on paper, but political economics solved problems in the real world.” This lesson pushed him to learn more about government and ultimately led him to the Hinckley Institute, where he was able to utilize his background in economics to launch a career in politics.

In the fall of 2010 and shortly before he graduated, Bagley did a national Hinckley internship that sparked a “hunger to effect change.” As an intern with the lobbying and communications firm Policy Impact Communications, he assisted in crafting communications strategies for members of Congress and other clientele. It was during this internship that he got to see first-hand what politics looks like in the nation’s capital. It was an “invaluable experience” that took learning beyond the classroom and provided “an opportunity to open up the hood to see how it all worked.” He learned what DC politics was, its potential, and also what it lacked.

As a DC intern, Bagley valued the comradery amongst Hinckley interns as they shared ideas and learned from one another. One of his favorite memories of his time as an intern is when he was able to meet Senator Harry Reid, then the Senate Majority Leader. This opportunity was made possible because a fellow intern was working in the Senator’s office. To Bagley, this experience “exemplified how Hinckley interns supported each other” and this chance to speak with such an influential figure served as a source of motivation for him as he continued to pursue a career in Democratic politics. He left DC motivated to effect change and with the belief that the best way to do so was through elections.

After the midterm elections in 2010, he witnessed the Democratic party lose a majority in the House of Representatives. This motivated him to get involved with President Obama’s reelection campaign in 2012. Using the skills he developed in DC, Bagley worked to elect Democrats across the country and has continued to do so in the years since.

Over the last decade, he has worked on federal Democratic campaigns. In 2018, he was the National Field Director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, where he oversaw the voter contact programs in over 70 congressional districts when Democrats won 43 House seats and a majority. Most recently, he served as the National Organizing Director for the Biden campaign. He held this senior role with the campaign in both the primary and general elections. The role entailed overseeing a staff of 2,200 people across 17 battleground states and working with them on grassroots organizing and voter contact strategy during COVID-19. Politics in the pandemic meant he had to help the team pivot from the traditional door-to-door, on-the-ground model, to something almost entirely new.

Reflecting on his time as a Hinckley intern, Bagley says, “I’m grateful my Hinckley experience fueled and kickstarted my career in politics”.