DeRose volunteered on his first political campaign at the age of fifteen and during college interned on Capitol Hill for the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Since then he has served in a variety of roles for candidates in five different states, including serving as Director of Election Day Operations for Governor of Virginia, Bob McDonnell in 2009, and managing the early efforts of CongressmanSean Duffy in 2010. In 2016, DeRose announced his candidacy for the Phoenix City Council. He advanced to the runoff at the November 8, 2016 election with 21% of the vote in a four-way race. DeRose was defeated with 46% of the vote in the March 14, 2017 runoff. On March 22, 2018, DeRose was appointed Clerk of the Superior Court for Maricopa County by Governor Doug Ducey to fill an unexpired term.
Books
DeRose's first book, Founding Rivals: Madison vs. Monroe, the Bill of Rights, and the Election that Saved a Nation, was named by The Washington Post as one of the "Best Political Books of 2011" and by Human Events as a "Top Ten American History Book to Read this Summer." The New York Times featured "Founding Rivals" in an article on the Congressional Book Club as a book popular with members of Congress. Kirkus Reviews called Founding Rivals "A fresh, narrow, knowledgeable-of-minutia take on a well-known friendship and rivalry during the early establishment of the U.S. Constitution," with a "Compelling narrative throughout…A lively, clear-cut study of the myriad hurdles and uncertainty that characterized the first attempts to form the U.S. government.” Publishers Weekly described it as "An engaging account of the Republic’s contentious founding.” His second book, Congressman Lincoln: The Making of America's Greatest President, released in 2013, was also selected as a Washington Post "Political Book of the Year." It was cited in detail by House Speaker John Boehner in a memorandum to his colleagues on government debt. Publishers Weekly praised "The Presidents' War" as "a well-written, thorough, and engaging look into a unique political situation in American history." Kirkus called "The Presidents' War" "an informative compendium of the political struggles leading to the Civil War," and praised it for the "revelation of eye-opening facts that are otherwise overlooked." The Christian Science Monitor called it "fascinating."
Personal life
Prior to his work in national politics, writing, and academia, DeRose was a full-time practicing attorney in Phoenix. Notable representations included the high-profile defense of a Police Chief threatened with termination, allegedly for arresting a County Supervisor and for firing an unqualified employee who was personal friends with the mayor. DeRose was formerly a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law, teaching Constitutional Law, International Law, Voting Rights/Election Law, Trade Law, and Gaming Law. He was selected as "Professor of the Year" by students for the 2014–2015 school year. In 2014, the Phoenix Business Journal named DeRose among the "Top 40 Under 40" business leaders. DeRose is a fellow of the British-American Project. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona.
