Publications: State Government Relations
Help Wanted

Hire the wrong lobbyist and regret it forever! Maybe that’s too harsh, but the fact is that hiring and managing lobbyists is among the most important responsibilities of state government relations managers. Stateside Associates often plays a role in this process by referring qualified lobbyists to our clients.

The approach we take to helping retain state lobbyists is very different from the lobbyist broker or one-lobbyist-per-state networks. When Client A--a chemical manufacturer--needs a lobbyist TODAY to kill a bill and Client B--a health care association--needs a lobbyist next session to pass a new law--the jobs and the clients are not "one size fits all."

To meet those different needs, we access the 50-state network of SGR, public affairs and legal professionals, as well as state lobbyists and other in-state contacts we have developed in over nine years in business. Usually two or three lobbyists are recommended for the client’s consideration as part of this customized referral process.
We do not have a single lobbyist in each state who receives most or all of our referrals. This is simply because the experience, resources, expertise and clout we need for every client are not embodied in a single lobbyist in each state. And, before we refer any lobbyist, we must clear them for conflicts and ethics issues and feel confident that they possess all the qualities which are important to that particular client. We can’t imagine doing it any other way.

For more information about using the services of Stateside Associates to retain state lobbyists, please contact Connie Campanella at 703-525-7466 or cc@stateside.com.