Ridder/Braden Incorporated (RBI) Papers

Collection

Identifier: M519

Staff Only

Abstract

This collection contains materials created and used Ridder/Braden Incorporated (RBI) over the years since its creation in 1985. RBI is still an active firm (as of 2024), and they specialize in political consulting in Denver, Colorado, nationally, and internationally in at least 23 countries. RBI has worked with presidential candidates, US Congressmen, governors, mayors, White House and campaign staff, Prime Ministers, and political organizations and advocates.

This collection contains papers and materials collected by the company's president Rick Ridder and partenr Faye Diamond from 1985 to 2022. There is an extensive amount of materials on the presidential campaign of Howard Dean in 2004, the political campaigns to legalize marijuana in Colorado, RBI business files and how-to manuals, and other legislative propositions and political candidate campaigns.

Dates

1985 - 2022

Creator

Ridder/Braden Incorporated (RBI) (Organization)

Biographical / Historical

Rick Ridder and Joannie Braden founded Ridder/Braden Incorporated (RBI) in 1985 in Denver, Colorado. RBI is a political consulting firm that conducts business locally in Denver, nationally, and internationally. RBI has worked with presidential candidates, US Congressmen, governors, mayors, White House and campaign staff, Prime Ministers, and political organizations and advocates.

Rick Ridder is currently the President of RBI Strategies and Research and is also a former presidential campaign manager and senior consultant for six other presidential campaigns. Through RBI, Ridder has consulted throughout the U.S. and in 23 other nations, including seven successful campaigns for heads of state.

Joannie Braden is the managing partner of RBI, overseeing its operations, clients, projects, and marketing. She also has expertise in campaign strategy, voter contact, survey research, and budgeting. Braden has worked on campaigns and campaign training programs in the U.S. as well as in Mexico, the UK, Australia, Spain, and Sweden.

Faye Diamond has been a partner at RBI since 1997. She is currently retired, but still does FEC compliance consukting through the company. Diamond specializes in campaign management and strategic consulting for candidates and statewide ballot initiatives. She also has expeirnece in campaign finances and legal compliance for congressional campaigns.

Extent

6 Linear Feet (3 Standard Record Boxes. Flat Box 20 x 16 x 3. Flat Box 24 x 20 x 3.)

Additional Description

Scope and Contents

This collection contains materials related to the poltical campaigns and other endeavors that RBI worked on. Materials include contractual agreements, polling and research, printed relevant articles, advertising scripts, focus group results, ballot drafts, correspondence, staff resumes, presentations, reports, and political strategies and plans.

This collection also contains RBI business files. These files consist of Campaign Training Handbooks, a Ballot Initiative Strategy Binder, How-To guides and manuals, company retreat and trip planning, and company presentations.

This collection also contains political yard signs, campaign posters, and political posters that RBI had in their possession likely through collaboration with these political endeavors.

This collection could be added to in the future.

Arrangement

This collection contains RBI’s papers and files on various projects and internal operations. This collection is arranged by series based on the purpose of the materials. Series 1 contains RBI’s consulting papers, research, strategies, and agreements for the projects RBI undertook related to the legalization of marijuana in the state of Colorado. Series 2 contains materials from the political campaign of Howard Dean who ran to be the Democratic Presidential Candidate in the 2004 eleciton. Series 3 contains materials and paperwork from the various projects RBI took on for legislation, amendments, initiatives, ballot initiatives, and propositions. Series 4 contains materials for other political campaigns that RBI consulted and worked with (these campaigns do not have enough materials to warrent their own series). Series 5 contains RBI’s business files, including internal company binders, manuals, training handbooks, presentations, and company trip planning. Series 6 contains RBI’s materials and files from other miscellaenous projects such as focus groups on presentations, surveys regarding term limits, and reports/audits on Denver jails. Series 7 consists of large political posters, yard signs, and framed posters.