Our Leadership
Caroline Welles
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Caroline Welles is the Executive Director of The First Ask. She was most recently the Director of Surrogates at the DNC, where she additionally served on the political team for the 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2022 election cycles. Caroline has experience working with campaigns across the country, including in Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Iowa, Colorado, Nevada, New Hampshire, California, Ohio, and Washington.
Caroline also proudly served the Biden administration at the Department of the Interior. She considers herself a lifelong organizer, having started her career in politics on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2015. She holds a Masters with Honours in Sociology from the University of Edinburgh. Most proudly, she was a co-founder of her high school Democratic club.
Eleanor Walter
POLITICAL DIRECTOR
Eleanor Walter is the Political Director at The First Ask. She most recently worked in the Texas House of Representatives during the 2023 Texas Legislative Session. In addition to her work in the Legislature, Eleanor has worked to elect Democrats up and down the ballot in Texas and has led multiple political organizations focused on youth voter engagement.
Eleanor is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin holding degrees in Theatre Education and Government. She is currently a Master of Public Policy candidate at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.