Top Political Consulting Firms

Ever wondered who the strategists behind political campaigns are? The ones who create compelling television advertisements, distribute direct mail, navigate the spin room, and manage many other details of a campaign? These strategists are political consultants. Like management consultants, their positions involve intensive research and data analysis. However, instead of simply giving a recommendation, political consultants turn their strategies into action plans and implement them.

The efforts of these political consulting firms undoubtedly influence public opinion, and therefore the outcome of many campaigns. With the current politically charged environment, we thought it was a good time to rank the top political consulting firms in the United States.

 

Top Five Democratic Political Consulting Firms

1. Precision Strategies (Democrat)

• Website: https://www.precisionstrategies.com/
• Headquarters: New York, NY
• Executive Team: Stephanie Cutter, Jen O’Malley Dillon, and Teddy Goff
• Specialty: Finance and Corporate, Healthcare, Nonprofits and Campaigns, Tech, Sports and Entertainment
• Notable Campaigns/Clients: Obama 2012; ACLU: Criminal Justice Reform; The Liberal Party of Canada; John F. Kennedy Library & Foundation
• Awards: 2019 Public Affairs Firm of the Year by Reed Awards; Best Get Out the Vote (GOTV) Campaign to Mobilize Diverse Community; Holmes Report’s 2016 Digital PR Agency of the Year; Dubbed a ‘Next-Generation Communications Agency’

Precision Strategies has earned first place from its successes in winning presidential elections, shaping public opinion, building movements, and defining Fortune 50 brands. Although the firm is fairly young (founded 2013) it has developed innovative approaches to drive change in a variety of sectors. This is a strategic political consultancy, staffed by the all-star campaign talent of the Democratic Party. The firm’s specific expertise includes strategic communications, campaign & mobilization, digital, advertising, and data analytics.

2. GMMB (Democrat)

• Website: https://gmmb.com/
• Headquarters: Washington, DC
• Executive Team: Allie McKay – Vice President, Kerry Ann Hamilton – Senior Vice President
• Specialty: Corporate Social Impact, Political Campaigns, Issue Communication, Brand Positioning
• Notable Campaigns/Clients: Democratic Senatorial Campaigns; Obama 2008

GMMB is focused on electing progressive leaders to offices at the local, state, and federal level. Communications professionals combine political strategy, brand and campaign development, & creative storytelling to engage voters, and no matter your political bent, they’ve been pretty good at it. Since 1983, the firm has worked on high-profile U.S. Senate campaigns as well as Presidential contests, with a special focus on ad creation / media buys, voter micro-targeting, and media organization.

3. 270 Strategies (Democrat)

• Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/270-strategies
• Headquarters: Washington, DC
• Chief Executive: Meg Ansara
• Specialty: Campaigns and Political Organizations, Issues and Causes, Mission-based Organizations
• Notable Campaigns/Clients: Ready for Hillary; Defend Our Future; Planned Parenthood; United Way
• Awards: City and State NY 2019 Power 100 list; 2018 Observer Power 50 list; Named one of the top public affairs agencies in the world by The Holmes Report.

270 Strategies is a much more social-impact focused firm than the first two on our list. In its first five years of existence, the team has that sought out over 300 partners to help end modern slavery, find a cause and cure for autism, and more. 270 Strategies stated goal is to connect everyday people to causes. The firm’s expertise includes grassroots organizing, digital media, communications, and data analytics.

4. Global Strategy Group (Democrat)

• Website: https://www.globalstrategygroup.com/
• Headquarters: New York, NY
• Chief Executive: Jon Silvan
• Specialty: Strategic PR for Fortune 500 companies and national political leaders
• Notable Campaigns/Clients: Kirsten Gillibrand (U.S. Senate); Joe Donnelly (U.S. Senate); Val Demings (U.S. House); Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Awards: City and State NY 2019 Power 100 list; 2018 Observer Power 50 list; Named one of the top public affairs agencies in the world by The Holmes Report.

Global Strategy Group lives at the intersection of political and PR consulting – where business and politics meet. Through data-driven insights, strategic public relations, and digital strategy, the firm’s number one focus is helping ambitious pols and international brands alike build and maintain brand identity.

5. Delta Politics (Democrat)

• Website: https://www.deltapolitics.com/
• Headquarters: New York, NY
• Specialty: Local and Statewide Campaigns

Unlike other political consultancies, Delta Politics doesn’t discriminate – it works with local and statewide campaigns, as well as progressive issue groups. Furthermore, Delta offers a full-suite of in-house campaign support – from digital targeting to media ad buys to polling services, Delta brings traditional and new campaign methods under one roof. The firm’s focus on behavioral analytics on top of more traditional data differentiates it from competitor outfits.

Top Five Republican Political Consulting Firms

1. FP1 (Republican)

• Website: https://fp1strategies.com/
• Headquarters: Arlington, VA
• Executive Team: Terry Nelson, Danny Diaz, and Jon Downs
• Specialty: Senatorial and Congressional Campaigns; Ballot Initiatives; Gubernatorial Campaigns
• Notable Campaigns/Clients: Dan Sullivan (U.S. Senate), Rob Portman (U.S. Senate); Brad Little (Gubernatorial)
• Awards: Reed Award for Best TV Ad; Gold Pollie Award for Best U.S. Senate Ad; Reed Award for Best Statewide TV Ad; Reed Award for Best Campaign Comeback

FP1 is the gold standard of Republican political consultancies – the firm has helped elect 19 U.S. Senators, five Governors, and 30 Members of Congress. The team is stacked with a who’s who of Republican staffers, including former Presidential Campaign Managers, Hill Chiefs of Staff, Party Committee leaders, and Super PAC leaders. Through its full-range of services, FP1 has the stated goal of creating campaigns unique to its leaders. The firm also plays outside of the U.S. in international campaigns, and specializes in ballot initiatives, communications, advertising, and digital.

2. Majority Strategies (Republican)

• Website: https://majoritystrategies.com/elections/
• Headquarters: Jacksonville, FL
• Chief Executive: Brett Buerck
• Specialty: Local, State, and Federal Campaigns
• Notable Campaigns/Clients: 2016 and 2018 U.S. Senate races

Majority Strategies has one major strategy – emotion. The firm focuses on connecting with voters on an emotional level to drive action. Since 2000, Majority Strategies has worked with every official GOP presidential nominee, and produced more Presidential “victory mail” than all other Republican firms combined.

3. BrabenderCox (Republican)

• Website: https://www.brabendercox.com/
• Headquarters: Washington, DC
• Chief Executive: John Brabender
• Specialty: Corporate and Political Campaigns, Political Ads
• Notable Campaigns/Clients: Rick Santorum (2012 Republican Primary for President)
  Awards: Reed Awards – Best Statewide TV Ad Finalist

If there is one thing that BrabenderCox does better than anyone, it’s television advertisements. While the firm offers a full-service suite of political marketing, public affairs, and strategic communications, its creative ads are most notable. BrabenderCox works with national politicians, major sports franchises, Fortune 500 companies, and nonprofit organizations who seek the firm out based on its track record of creativity.

4. Intellz (Republican)

• Website: https://www.intellz.com/
• Headquarters: Farmers Branch, TX
• Chief Executive: Mark P. Campbell
• Specialty: PACs & Committees; Congressional Campaigns; Statewide Campaigns; Presidential Campaigns; Corporates; Associations
• Notable Campaigns/Clients: Ted Cruz for President; Bush-Cheney; American Medical Association

Intellz bases its campaign philosophy on the notion that people need to trust who they are voting for, and focuses its campaign messages to build and reinforce strong reputations. With over 35 years of experience winning elections across the country in diverse locales, Intellz has been a player in Republican politics for a long time. However, the firm does not boast many in-house services, instead preferring to partner with media, mail, digital, and polling firms.

5. Axiom Strategies (Republican)

• Website: https://axiomstrategies.com/about/
• Headquarters: Kansas City, MO
• Chief Executive: Jeff Roe
• Specialty: Presidential, Congressional, and Local campaigns
• Notable Campaigns/Clients: Ted Cruz Presidential Campaign (2016); Ted Cruz U.S. Senate Campaign (2018)

A new player in Republican politics, Axiom Strategies is driven by the persona of Jeff Roe, the architect of Ted Cruz’s winning Senate campaigns in Texas and his runner-up finish in the 2016 Republican Presidential primary. Axiom’s strength is in its data collection, which allows for tailored advertising and voter micro-targeting. Axiom offers services in public affairs, direct mail, digital services, and media buys.

Conclusion

From political campaigns to corporate campaigns, these established and upstart political consulting firms alike are dominating the current U.S. political landscape. Know of other political consultancies we missed? Join the discussion and share your thoughts with us!

Additional Reading:

• Top 25 Consulting Firms
• MBB: McKinsey, BCG, Bain – Are They Really the Best?
• Top 10 Consulting Firms in London, UK
• Consulting Resume: Complete Guide