Charles R. Black Jr., born October 11, 1947, in Wilmington, North Carolina, is a prominent Washington lobbyist and GOP strategist. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Florida in 1969 and a Juris Doctor from American University Washington College of Law in 1974. His political career began as a high school campaign worker for Barry Goldwater in 1964 and continued with Jesse Helms' 1972 senatorial campaign, followed by roles in Ronald Reagan's presidential campaigns (1976, 1980, 1984). He served as national spokesperson for the Republican National Committee from 1972, senior political adviser to George H. W. Bush's 1992 re-election, adviser to George W. Bush's campaigns (2000, 2004), chief campaign adviser to John McCain in 2008, informal adviser to Mitt Romney in 2012, and adviser to John Kasich in 2016. Black co-founded the lobbying firm Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly, as well as the National Conservative Political Action Committee (NCPAC), and later BKSH & Associates in 1996 (acquired by Burson-Marsteller). In 2010, he became Founding Chairman of Prime Policy Group, formed through a merger including Gold & Liebengood and operating as a subsidiary of Burson Cohn & Wolfe, representing clients such as Airbus, Google, trade and industry associations, foreign governments, state governments, and municipalities. He has worked with both Republican and Democratic clients. Notable past representations include Ferdinand Marcos (from which he resigned due to election interference) and Mobutu Sese Seko (advising on elections before resigning when the leader rejected results). Black was inducted into the American Association of Political Consultants Hall of Fame in 2010. He faced criticism in 2008 MoveOn.org ads for allegedly lobbying for tyrants, which he defended by emphasizing that his firm vetted clients through the State Department and White House, resigning from accounts misaligned with U.S. policy.