America has lost its experienced Democratic political consultant. Data-minded strategist Hal Malchow passed away from Alzheimer’s at 72.
Politico covered Malchow’s demise five days before it happened. His decision to have a physician-assisted ending earned mixed reactions from readers.
While we will discuss this in more detail later, let’s first learn who Hal Malchow was and how he changed the landscape of political campaigning.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways:
- Hal Malchow came from an educated family with an engineer dad and an economist mom.
- Hal Malchow was married twice in his life. He welcomed three children with his spouses.
- Hal Malchow’s Alzheimer diagnosis was not unexpected, yet it devastated him in every possible way.
Malchow became renowned for using data analytics to bridge the gap between political candidates and voters.
The consultant’s voter contact firm changed the way of outreach. Under his guidance, democrats were able to communicate with their voters directly.
In addition, Hal carved a niche for himself as an author and penned many best-selling books.
The Republican Background Of Democratic Consultant Hal Malchow
The late author was born Harold Clark Malchow Jr. in Gulfport, Mississippi, USA, on November 4, 1951.
Hal Malchow’s mother was a Republican who raised him to support the political party.
However, fate had other plans for Hal, who joined the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party while attending Millsaps College.
Hal Malchow’s father, Harold Malchow, was also inclined toward Democrats, having voted for President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.
The poor guy kept this fact hidden from his wife. The Malchow couple were well-educated as well.
Hal’s mom was an economist, while his father worked as an environmental engineer. He also had two brothers.
Following his graduation, Hal started running his campaigns, though they ended up as failures.
Malchow’s first consultant job was for Al Gore before the 1984 election. He helped Gore win it and then moved on to explore other job opportunities.
Hal made his career breakthrough after pioneering the use of advanced data analytics to classify voters. He shared his knowledge in the 2003 textbook The New Political Targeting.
Long story short, Malchow rose as a Democratic political consultant and worked with five Presidential nominees.
Harsh Stop To Decades-Long Legacy: Hal Malchow Had An Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
Hal had a fruitful career as a political consultant and later as an author. He found his calling for the latter after his son approached him about co-writing a book.
Amid his thriving professional journey, Harold received tragic news: an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
It wasn’t much of a surprise for the guy, as Hal Malchow’s mother was also diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Hal had a genetic screening when he was 36, which hinted that he would likely inherit the disease, too.
Malchow initially fought the illness by having regular treatments and focusing on diet and exercise. But, the situation only became worse with the possibility of dementia.
Finally, the Democrat decided to end everything on his own terms and contacted a Swedish clinic, Dignitas, for a physician-assisted demise.
Mal shared about reasons behind his decision in an interview with Politico, quoting,
What’s the point? You know, why sit around the house and watch a little piece of your brain disappear every day?
Before the scheduled date at the clinic, Hal enjoyed traveling with his wife, Anne Mahoney Marsh, and finished his last book, Reinventing Political Advertising.
FAQ’s
Who Was Hal Malchow’s First Wife?
Hal Malchow was initially married to Georgetown University professor Astrid Weigert.
How Many Children Did Hal Malchow Have?
Hal Malchow shared three sons, Alex Malchow, Michael Marsh, and Timothy Marsh, with his two wives.
What Are Hal Malchow’s Books?
Hal Malchow wrote seven books: 42 Million To One, No Popes In Heaven, The Sword Of Darrow, Political Targeting, The New Political Targeting, The Dragon And The Firefly, and Reinventing Political Advertising.
