Nick Coe, principal of Trust First Strategies, is a battle-tested political and public affairs consultant with over fifteen years of proven leadership in campaigns, on Capitol Hill and in public affairs.

Most recently, Nick served as chief of staff to US Rep. Angie Craig, where he directed strategy, operations, communications, and team leadership in a high-stakes, frontline congressional office. As chief, Nick was the senior architect in guiding the organization through the most expensive U.S. House race in Minnesota history in 2022, followed by Craig’s historic, record-breaking electoral margin in 2024.

Before his time on Capitol Hill, Nick managed Gov. Tim Walz 2018 gubernatorial campaign and led statewide field operations for the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party during the 2016 election cycle. Nick is also a graduate of the highly selective Leaders on the Fast Track Fellowship at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.

Nick founded Trust First Strategies to put into practice the hard-won lessons he has learned working with candidates, executives, and public audiences. Strategy succeeds or collapses based on whether people feel heard, respected, and taken seriously. In Nick’s experience, trust is not a slogan or a tactic.  It cannot be manufactured. It must be earned. Trust First exists to help clients build strategies rooted in that truth: and win because of it.