Laura Thornton is a global expert and leader in the international democracy field.
Washington, D.C. (August 13, 2024) – The McCain Institute at Arizona State University (ASU) today announced the hiring of Laura Thornton as senior director of global democracy programs.
Thornton brings nearly 30 years of experience leading democracy programs across the globe, most recently as the senior vice president of democracy at the German Marshall Fund. Before that, she was the director of global programs at International IDEA, a Stockholm-based democracy organization, and she held senior roles with the National Democratic Institute working throughout Asia and the former Soviet Union, including serving as global associate for Georgia.
In her new role, Thornton will draw from her rich experience and expertise to help the McCain Institute expand its global democracy programs. Her experience in Georgia is especially relevant to the McCain Institute’s democracy work as Georgia was a nation of special significance to Senator John McCain and remains on the front lines of the fight for democracy today.
“From leading pro-democracy reforms from Georgia to Cambodia and combatting foreign disinformation and interference, Laura’s decades of experience as a democracy defender and practitioner make her a natural addition to the McCain Institute leadership team,” said McCain Institute Executive Director Dr. Evelyn Farkas. “Laura has dedicated her career to protecting democracy through research, education, technical assistance, and advocacy, and she embodies the character-driven leadership style Senator John McCain believed in. We welcome Laura to the team and look forward to her contributions to a more free, safe, and just world.”
“I have long admired the leadership and political courage of Senator John McCain and his dedication to serving a cause greater than himself, particularly his strong support for Georgia, Ukraine, and other nations on the frontlines of democracy,” said Thornton. “No one more clearly understood the threat of Vladimir Putin and other autocratic actors. I look forward to leading the McCain Institute’s global democracy programs and continuing John McCain’s fight for freedom, democracy, and human rights around the globe.”
The McCain Institute’s democracy programs safeguard freedom by providing outreach and aid to those on the frontlines of democracy worldwide. The programs reflect the legacy of Senator McCain, who routinely spoke up for civility and respect in our political system, and those who faced injustice and oppression around the world. Learn more about the McCain Institute’s democracy programs HERE.
Watch the McCain Institute’s 2022 event on foreign influence in U.S. elections featuring Thornton HERE.
Laura Thornton’s Full Biography:
Prior to joining the McCain Institute at ASU, Thornton served as senior vice president of democracy at the German Marshal Fund (GMF). In this role she led teams whose programs defend and promote democracy. She oversaw the Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD), through which GMF tracks, analyzes, and builds strategies to thwart malign internal and external influence operations that target democracies worldwide. Thornton guided GMF’s global democracy initiatives to build communities of practices, share lessons, and forge transnational alliances. She participates in numerous democracy networks and working groups as a leader and expert.
Thornton also oversaw GMF’s transatlantic trusts, which support civil society organizations and actors in Central and Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans, the Black Sea and Eurasia regions, Belarus, and Ukraine that bolster democratic resilience through civic education, media literacy, public awareness campaigns, and media and watchdog activities.
Prior to joining GMF, Thornton was director of global programs at International IDEA, a Stockholm-based intergovernmental organization that advances democracy. She led multiple teams across Europe focused on constitution-building, parliamentary processes, elections, gender and inclusion, political parties, and democracy assessment and analysis. She managed the development of global comparative knowledge and applied research products aimed at supporting and advancing democracy worldwide, including the Global State of Democracy report and the Global Monitor on COVID-19’s impact on human rights and democracy.
Thornton served for more than 20 years in leadership positions at the National Democratic Institute (NDI), working throughout Asia and the former Soviet Union. She has written extensively about political party development, political finance and corruption, elections, and disinformation, and has led multiple election observation missions worldwide. At NDI, Thornton designed public opinion research efforts, including national polls, focus groups, and experimental research designs to explore disinformation, security, geopolitics, democracy and human rights, and political developments. She is the co-author of Political Parties in Asia: Promoting Reform and Combating Corruption in Eight Countries (NDI, 2003). Thornton has a master’s degree from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University.
About the McCain Institute at Arizona State University
The McCain Institute is a nonpartisan organization inspired by Senator John McCain and his family’s dedication to public service. We are part of Arizona State University and based in Washington, D.C. Our programs defend democracy, advance human rights and freedom, and empower character-driven leaders. Our unique power to convene leaders across the global political spectrum enables us to make a real impact on the world’s most pressing challenges. Our goal is action, not talk, and like Senator McCain, we are fighting to create a free, safe, and just world for all.
About Arizona State University
Arizona State University has developed a new model for the American research university, creating an institution that is committed to access, excellence, and impact. ASU measures itself by those it includes, not by those it excludes. As the prototype for a New American University, ASU pursues research that contributes to the public good, and ASU assumes major responsibility for the economic, social, and cultural vitality of the communities that surround it.
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