Business is booming for Louisiana’s cadre of Capitol Hill lobbyists. As the state’s congressional delegation gains prominence in key political positions, local lobbyists’ preexisting relationships—and sometimes friendships—with political leaders have made them precious commodities.
While it’s certainly not the first time that the state has had senior leadership in Washington, the current delegation has the potential to become one of the most impactful in years. Jeff Brooks, a partner in Adams & Reese’s Washington, D.C., office, says that has led to heightened demand for any lobbyist with connections to Louisiana.
“I’ve been doing this most of my life, and our delegation over the years has been enormously powerful for its size,” Brooks says. “But this delegation—and not just because of Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise—could become one of the most effective of them all due to the various committees on which they serve.”
Relationships and trust are critical to a lobbyist’s success, Brooks says, and that puts firms such as his in the catbird seat. Adams & Reese is seeing a surge in demand from potential clients as a result.
“I’m spending nearly a third of my time responding to new inquiries, from both inside and outside of the state,” he says. “A lot of people profess they know the majority leader and the speaker of the House, but we not only know them, we’re trusted by them.”
Tyron Picard, founder and managing partner of The Picard Group, says the current dynamic has been unquestionably advantageous. The Picard Group is one of the largest state and federal lobbying groups in Louisiana, with some 45% of its work at the federal level.
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