Ballard Partners made its name primarily as a Republican-aligned public affairs firm. Founder and president Brian Ballard formerly served as the chief of staff to former Florida Republican governor Bob Martinez, and he has since leveraged his connections to the Trump administration to advocate on behalf of his clients.
However, as Ballard Partners has expanded, it has been developing an increasingly bipartisan reputation. In recent years, the firm has hired a number of figures from Democratic circles: Michael Alvarez, who leads Ballard Partners’ Chicago office as managing partner, was a senior advisor to Barack Obama during the future president’s time as a US senator; Tracie Pough, who joined the firm’s Washington, DC, office in 2025, is the former longtime chief of staff to Democratic congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz; and Michael Larosa came to the Washington, DC, office after a tenure as press secretary to First Lady Jill Biden and special assistant to President Joe Biden.
Other Democratic-aligned additions to the firm include Anthony Williams. Williams, who joined Ballard Partners in 2024, was a key member of California governor Gavin Newsom’s administration. Serving as legislative affairs secretary, Williams was integral in driving the policy successes of the Democrat’s first term. Williams now serves as the managing partner of Ballard Partners’ Sacramento, California, office which, under his direction, has doubled its revenue in the state over the last year.
But it’s not only the presence of professionals like Alvarez, Pough, Larosa, and Williams that have strengthened Ballard Partners’ bipartisan credentials. Through its popular digital show, 13th & Park, the firm has hosted engaging conversations with influential figures from Democratic politics.
Gavin Newsom himself joined 13th & & Park in 2024 to discuss his path to becoming governor of California. More recently, the show has attracted other prominent Democrats. Let’s learn more about two of these guests.
Jim Deboo
Jim Deboo is a leading strategic affairs professional who has been tapped by some of California’s top Democrats for his expertise. His most high-profile role was serving as chief of staff to Governor Newsom. Assuming this position during the COVID-19 pandemic, Deboo was instrumental in supporting the governor as the Golden State navigated and recovered from the public health emergency.
Deboo came to the governor’s office having served as the interim chief of staff for California Speaker John Perez. He was also the chief legislative representative for the then-mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa. Villaraigosa, who is now running for governor of California, is another past Democratic guest of 13th & Park, having appeared on the digital show in 2025.
Villaraigosa’s episode saw him discuss with Williams how he would lead California if elected. Williams was also the host when Deboo visited 13th & Park’s Southern California studio for an episode that was released in March. Speaking with his fellow former Newsom staffer, Deboo reflected on what he learned from his time in California government and what he sees as the future of the country’s largest state economy.
Dee Dee Myers
On the episode prior to Deebo’s, Dee Dee Myers—another influential Democratic figure with ties to the Newsom administration—joined Williams in Ballard Partners’ Southern California studio. Dee Dee Myers is a senior advisor to Governor Newsom and director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. However, she is best known to many as the White House press secretary during the Clinton administration.
Myers rose to press secretary at a young age at a time when no woman had ever held the role. She discussed her groundbreaking career alongside Williams and the lessons she took from representing the administration as it navigated a host of challenges. She also discussed how she has applied this experience in Governor Newsom’s office, where she has been instrumental in helping the state recover economically from the COVID-19 pandemic.
A veteran of Democratic politics, Myers was the assistant press secretary for then-mayor of Los Angeles, Tom Bradley, and worked on campaigns for Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, and Dianne Feinstein prior to joining the Clinton administration. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller Why Women Should Rule the World, which was published in 2008.