ACLU Announces Deirdre Schifeling as National Political Director

WASHINGTON — Today, the American Civil Liberties Union announced the appointment of Deirdre Schifeling as the new National Political Director of the ACLU.

“It’s increasingly clear that we can no longer rely exclusively on the federal courts to safeguard our civil liberties and civil rights. The ACLU has a c4 in every state, a total c4 budget exceeding $160 million a year, and millions of card-carrying members who can be deployed as partners and protagonists in the struggle for justice. Given these challenges and opportunities, I’m grateful that Deirdre heeded the call to serve as the ACLU’s National Political Director,” said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero.

In the 2022 midterm elections, the ACLU is making multimillion-dollar investments in ballot initiatives across the nation, as well as efforts to fight legislative battles over abortion, mobilize voters around down-ticket races — including state judicial candidates — and educate voters on candidates’ views on key issues affecting their civil liberties.

Schifeling brings an extensive political, organizing, and coalition-building background to the ACLU, having held key leadership positions in the Biden White House, at Planned Parenthood, and the Fight Back Table. Schifeling joins the ACLU from the Biden-Harris administration, where she served as the advocacy director in the White House Office of Political Strategy and Outreach. Immediately prior to the White House, Schifeling led national, coordinated efforts by leading progressive groups to stop the Trump administration’s efforts to subvert the results of the 2020 election at the Fight Back Table.

Schifeling also spent nearly a decade at Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), where she was the executive director of the PPFA Action Fund and vice president for organizing, engagement, and campaigns. In this role, she helped raise and manage PPFA’s political expenditures and devised strategies for both congressional fights and state legislative battles.

“I am honored to join the incredible team at the ACLU. We are in the fight of our lives for our country’s democracy, civil liberties, and human rights. The ACLU — with its long history and 50 state presence is the ideal place to wage and win this fight, and I’m excited to roll up my sleeves and get to work,” said Schifeling.

A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and a self-described organizer, Schifeling began her career as a union organizer at the United Steel Workers of America. She spent almost a decade at the Working Families Party – beginning as political organizer, becoming deputy director, and ultimately leading the organization’s federal and state campaigns.

Schifeling will be based in the ACLU’s Washington, D.C. office when she assumes the National Political Director position on January 1, 2023.