Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life

John McCarthy served as deputy assistant to the president and senior advisor for political engagement to President Joe Biden, and was a point-person on Catholic issues for the second Catholic president in U.S. history. He was also responsible for building coalitions and maintaining key relationships with the business community, state and local elected officials, members of Congress, and high-level political stakeholders in all 50 states.

Prior to this, he was deputy national political director for Biden’s historic 2020 presidential campaign. A Capitol Hill veteran, John was chief of staff to Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA) and served as a policy aide to Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ). He is a native of New Jersey and a graduate of The Catholic University of America. John is a strategic advisor to candidates, companies, and causes as principal of Causeway Strategy Group and was a fall 2025 senior fellow with the Georgetown University Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life.