Samantha McLean is a Senior Vice President at Forbes Tate.

She has served over a decade in the United States Senate, leading a policy portfolio related to national security and foreign relations. As the senior legislative assistant for Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), the Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce Committee, she was responsible for crafting the senator’s national security platform, including matters spanning the Senate’s Committees on Foreign Relations, Armed Services, Banking, Commerce, Science and Transportation, Homeland Security and Government Affairs, and Judiciary.

During her tenure in the Senate, Samantha managed the National Defense Authorization Act process, securing dozens of initiatives each fiscal year. Additionally, she served as the personal representative of the member (PRM) on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where she advanced measures relating to democracy, human rights, and sanctions.

Samantha has cultivated and maintained a decade’s worth of relationships with policy experts, diplomats, contractors, and elected officials, which has been a leading contributor to the senator’s success in the enactment of bipartisan measures and building his policy record.

Samantha is a graduate of Clemson University where she received a B.A. in political science and government. Originally from Massachusetts, Samantha now lives in Virginia with her husband and their pointer, Finn.