Seth Gladstone '01: A Political Future for a Young Graduate

Seth Gladstone never expected to be shuttling presidential candidate John Kerry around New York City, but last fall he found himself in a minivan with Kerry sitting shotgun and bumping over pot holes in Queens. In the summer of 2003, Gladstone became one of the youngest members of Kerry’s political staff and became adept at morphing between administrator, researcher and strategist.

Gladstone was responsible for coordinating volunteers and interns, putting together the field operations in the five boroughs, and getting community representatives and politically-minded individuals onto the street to spread word-of-mouth. He accompanied Senator Kerry and his travel staff around town, making sure they had the background needed for events and organized young democrats at NYU, Columbia, Fordham and CUNY.

“I did not have a lot of professional political experience,” Gladstone said, who got the job after an unsolicited call to the Kerry camp. “It was a matter of being at the right place at the right time and entrenching myself in the campaign. It was very exciting for me to be in this brand new world in a presidential election.”

Gladstone, 26, relied on his CAS degree in journalism and politics to help him navigate his way through a world in which he admittedly had little practical experience. “So much in politics is communication, whether its writing, speaking on behalf of the candidate, whether it’s a letter to a Congressman thanking them for being at an event or inviting them to a particular event,” Gladstone said. “NYU taught me to be a good communicator. My writing skills were put to use every day.”

Local New York politics have now caught Gladstone’s attention. The Kinderhook, New York, native is a freelance consultant for a handful of candidates in upcoming City Council races. He also is working on obtaining a full-time position with a state-wide Democratic campaign.

“I am interested in getting my hands dirty on some of the nitty-gritty local issues,” Gladstone said. “After participating at the presidential level, I want to learn the issues in my back door.”

Gladstone has always followed his taste for adventure, and before jumping into politics, he was a travel writer and editor at Family Travel Forum magazine, a publication that he became involved with through an internship he began while at NYU.

“Our niche was traveling with families off the beaten path,” Gladstone said. “We were not writing about Disney World or a trip to the zoo, we were writing about taking young children on safari in Africa or to Europe for spring vacation. My love of travel initially put me in touch with the magazine.”

Gladstone’s specific path is still unknown, but one thing you can expect not to see is a “Vote For Seth Gladstone” sign. “I think I will always be someone behind the scenes. I enjoy the anonymity and being a part of the process and being involved on every level in the world of campaigning, but I don’t want to be the one out there.”