In 1998, Ballard Partners was founded at the historic Lively House in Tallahassee, Florida. For almost two decades, it remained a Florida firm, drawing on the advocacy and relationships of its founder, Brian Ballard, to deliver exceptional results for clients doing business in the Sunshine State.
Since 2017, however, Ballard Partners has achieved runaway growth, a development that has in large part coincided with the presidential terms of Donald Trump. In 2025, in fact, the Financial Times called Ballard Partners the “go-to lobbyist in Trump’s Washington.”
Despite the public affairs firm’s many connections to the current administration and Republican politics, Ballard Partners prides itself on maintaining a bipartisan team that includes a number of accomplished figures from the other side of the aisle. To better understand the success of the firm, let’s take a look at a few of Ballard Partners’ consultants from the world of Democratic politics.
Michael Alvarez
Born and raised in Chicago, Michael Alvarez has made his name as one of his native region’s premier government relations and public affairs consultants. A recipient of undergraduate and graduate degrees from Northwestern University, he is the founder of Alvarez & Associates, a firm through which he represented a range of high-profile clients, from Fortune 500 companies to prominent labor unions and trade associations.
Prior to establishing Alvarez & Associates, he drew on his wealth of local knowledge to serve as a senior advisor to then-Illinois senator Barack Obama. Alvarez’s career has also seen him hold elected office as the commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Still based in Chicago today, he joined Ballard Partners in early 2025 to lead the firm’s newly formed Chicago office.
Tracie Pough
Tracie Pough has advised some of the most high-profile Democratic legislators in modern politics. A former advisor to then–House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, she most recently served for 18 years as chief of staff to Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz. A “chief’s chief,” according to Wasserman Schultz, Pough has trained numerous chiefs of staff and forged hundreds of relationships across Capitol Hill.
Concurrent to her tenure as chief of staff, Pough maintained a dual role as director of the Chairwoman’s Office at the Democratic National Committee during the Florida congresswoman’s tenure in that position. Since early 2025, Pough has brought her expertise in appropriations, federal operations, and complex policy issues to Ballard Partners’ Washington, DC, office.
Robert Wexler
The co-managing partner of Ballard Partners’ Tel Aviv office has deep knowledge of Israeli affairs. As a US congressman representing Florida’s 19th district from 1997 to 2010, Robert Wexler developed a reputation as a staunch defender of Israel and an advocate for bringing a just end to the Arab–Israeli conflict.
Named one of the American Jewish community’s 50 most influential leaders, Wexler was twice called on by Barack Obama for his Israeli expertise, first serving as an advisor to the then–senator’s 2008 presidential campaign and subsequently articulating the president’s Israeli policies in a speech delivered at the 2012 Democratic convention. A former state senator in Florida, he is currently the president of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace in Washington, DC.
Anthony Williams
Anthony Williams has enjoyed a wide-ranging career in public policy in the state of California. Currently a member of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, he has held roles across the public and private sectors, including as legislative affairs secretary for Governor Gavin Newsom, director of public policy at Amazon, and director of national strategy and engagement at Boeing.
In addition to his responsibilities with the High-Speed Rail Authority, Williams has served his home state as a governor-appointed member of the Fish and Game Commission. A lawyer who established his own firm and has worked at the State Bar of California and the Judicial Council of California, he leads Ballard Partners’ Sacramento office as managing partner.
