As if Capitol Hill didn’t already feel like a cutthroat jungle, one Democratic staffer is taking the plunge into a literal one.
Alex Moore, the communications director for Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), is stepping out of the halls of Congress and into the wilds of Fiji as a contestant on the upcoming 49th season of CBS’s long-running reality show Survivor. And yes, he’s already leaning into the political stereotypes.
“I work on Capitol Hill, and I think that has prepared me for ‘Survivor’ because one of my favorite pastimes is kissing butt,” Moore says in the show’s trailer.
Honesty is refreshing, though perhaps not quite as noble when it’s packaged as campaign-season self-deprecation. But that’s Washington for you—where smiling through gritted teeth is considered a skill set.
Moore, an Illinois native and Northwestern graduate, has been working with Schakowsky since at least 2018. He started as a district intern and eventually landed the role of communications director in 2022. Given Schakowsky’s announcement that she won’t seek re-election in 2026, Moore may have timed this leap into showbiz just right. If nothing else, he’s getting a head start on a future in “strategic storytelling”—or a memoir deal, whichever comes first.
Schakowsky, a progressive mainstay of the House for over two decades, is hanging up her hat after 26 years representing Illinois’s 9th District. Her departure marks the end of an era—one that often involved championing big-government policies while criticizing conservative values as outdated.
Now, her comms guy is headed to compete for a million dollars by building fires and navigating tribal alliances. It’s hard not to see the metaphor.
Survivor host Jeff Probst promises this new season, set in the steamy jungles of Fiji, will feature “a very likable and quirky group of players.” In other words, a collection of camera-friendly personalities with just enough backstory to hook a fall audience.
Moore isn’t the first politico to make the trek to Tribal Council. Former Obama speechwriter Jon Lovett appeared on Season 47, and other players have included state legislators and even a former Marvel executive, Nate Moore, who will also appear in the upcoming season.
Yes, Survivor is starting to resemble LinkedIn with coconuts.
What once was a gritty test of survival and cunning has evolved into a soft landing for personalities looking to burnish their brand. And in a town where image is everything, it’s no surprise that Capitol Hill is now a breeding ground for reality TV contestants.
Of course, while Moore will be trying to outwit and outplay, some Americans might wish more elected officials—and their staffers—would just outwork. After all, Congress hasn’t exactly been breaking productivity records lately.
Still, credit where it’s due: surviving Capitol Hill politics is probably decent training for Fiji’s heat and alliance-building games. Whether Moore wins the million or simply boosts his Twitter following, one thing is clear—this is one Hill staffer who’s taking networking to a whole new level.
Let’s just hope the tropical drama isn’t any worse than what he’s already seen in a House committee meeting.
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