Midterm Momentum: Past Lessons, Future Outlook

The return of President Donald Trump to the White House has brought a level of activity to government unmatched by any second term presidency in modern history. This continued pace of activity is shaping the political landscape and will likely influence voter’s priorities and engagement in the months ahead. Join Pete Seat, former White House spokesman and national political commentator, and Mike Sistak, AFBF’s Director of Advocacy and Political Management, for a look back on the first full year of Trump’s second turn at the presidency and the potential impact it will have in the 2026 midterm elections.

Speakers:

• Mike Sistak, Director, Advocacy & Political Management, AFBF
• Pete Seat, Vice President, Bose Public Affairs Group

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Speaker Details

Pete Seat

Pete Seat is more than a guy with a rhyming name. The only child of immigrant parents, he is a former White House spokesman, nationally recognized political commentator, author, columnist and adjunct instructor on the American Presidency at the University of Arizona. He brings all these experiences together to offer clients best-in-class consulting in media and public speaking coaching, public relations, crisis communications, brand management and grassroots/issue advocacy.

As a communications strategist, Pete has formally and informally devised comprehensive communications and messaging plans, drafted remarks and statements, prepped for media interviews and served as a spokesman for, among others, a president of the United States, governors, senators and business leaders. Highlights include: communications director on the historic 106-day gubernatorial campaign of Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb; communications director for former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats’ victorious 2010 U.S. Senate campaign; and deputy assistant press secretary to President George W. Bush where Pete worked alongside press secretaries Tony Snow and Dana Perino and logged thousands of miles aboard Air Force One.

A respected national political commentator and analyst, Pete has made more than 250+ live appearances on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, NewsNation and NewsMax combined, including as a regular panelist on Abby Phillip's New York City-based CNN NewsNight roundtable program; speaks at national and international conferences and events, including most recently in New York City, Charlotte, Brussels and Dubrovnik, Croatia; is the author of the book The War on Millennials; a member of the American Enterprise Institute’s Leadership Network (Spring ’18 Class); a Council on Foreign Relations Term Member; an Atlantic Council Millennium Fellow (2018 Class); a two-time alumni of the American Council of Young Political Leaders (India '15; North Macedonia '24); and a columnist whose work has been published by Politico, CNN.com, MSNBC.com, USA Today and Newsweek.

Pete is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a B.A. in theatre arts, bilingual (English and Serbian), has attended twenty-two World Series games (with an uninterrupted twenty year streak – pandemic included!), collected the autographs of twenty-five U.S. presidents and traveled to 50 countries on six continents.

Mike Sistak

Mike Sistak is AFBF’s Director of Advocacy and Political Management. In this capacity he assists state Farm Bureaus with their Political Action Committee management, conducts political analysis, engages candidates for federal office, teaches campaign management seminars and supports all AFBF advocacy initiatives.

Mike has over 15 years of political experience. He has previously worked on Capitol Hill, in senior government relations roles in Arizona and has worked on multiple campaigns for the House, Senate and White House. He was previously AFBF’s Director of Grassroots Program Development.

Mike graduated from The University of Arizona with a BA in Political Science and MA in International Security Studies.

Mike and his wife Maddy are originally from Phoenix, Arizona and now reside in Fairfax, Virginia.