Carlbom found a career in campaigns and communications following his time as mayor. He worked with Walz's 2008 and 2010 campaigns, serving as his campaign manager in 2010.[4] Following that campaign work, was the Communications Director for Saint Paul mayorChris Coleman.[5]
Same-sex marriage activism
In 2011, both houses of the Minnesota Legislature passed a bill introducing a ballot measure for a constitutional amendment that would have outlawed same-sex marriage in Minnesota.[6] Shortly thereafter, Minnesota LGBTQ+ rights organizations OutFront Minnesota and Project 515 formed Minnesotans United for All Families, a campaign against the amendment. Carlbom, who was engaged to his now-husband two weeks before the amendment made it through the legislature, was selected to chair the campaign.[7] The "Vote No" campaign was successful: voters rejected the amendment with a 51% majority.[8]
After the marriage ban passed, Carlbom began work with Minnesotans United on legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in the Minnesota Legislature.[9] The organization spent $2 million lobbying for the bill, which was sponsored by Scott Dibble (DFL) in the Senate [9] and Karen Clark in the House. The bill passed in both houses and was signed into law by Governor Mark Dayton on March 14, 2013.[10]
Following his work in Minnesota, Carlbom became the director of state campaigns for the nonprofit Freedom to Marry.[1]
Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Tim Walz
In 2023, Carlbom was hired as the deputy chief of staff for Minnesota governor Tim Walz.[11]
