Rankings
Top 50 Most Powerful Lobbyists in America
These are the most active lobbyists in Washington — ranked by number of disclosure filings. They represent America's biggest corporations, trade associations, and foreign governments, collectively appearing on thousands of lobbying filings worth billions of dollars.
What Makes a Lobbyist "Powerful"?
Power in lobbying comes from access, relationships, and volume. The lobbyists below appear on the most disclosure filings — meaning they're actively lobbying on behalf of the most clients on the most issues.
The Rankings
| # | Lobbyist | Filings | Clients | Primary Firm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PRESTON HILL Sr Policy Advisor, Speaker Off., '23-24; Sr. Policy Advisor, Min. Leader Off., '22; Policy Advisor, Min. Leader Off., '19-22; Special Assistant, Maj. Leader Off., '16-18 | 338 | 45 | MICHAEL BEST STRATEGIES LLC |
| 2 | BRENT BURNS | 337 | 1 | MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY |
| 3 | DAVID JANSEN Staff Dir., Subcom. on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, House Cmte. on Transportation and Infrastructure (2011-2021); Sr. Prof. Staff, Subcom. on Insular Affairs, Wildlife and Oceans, House Cmte. on Natural Resources (1999-2010) | 337 | 27 | BLANK ROME GOVERNMENT RELATIONS |
| 4 | MICHAEL HETTINGER Staff Director, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on Government Management (2003-07); Chief of Staff, Rep. Thomas M. Davis III - VA (1998-99) | 337 | 20 | HETTINGER STRATEGY GROUP LLC |
| 5 | DAVID STACY | 336 | 1 | HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN |
| 6 | GREGG SHEIOWITZ | 336 | 1 | ZURICH AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY (FKA ZURICH) |
| 7 | JAMES BURCHFIELD Staff Associate, House Foreign Affairs Committee; Professional Staff Member, House Committee on Small Business; Senior Policy Advisor, Congressman Steve Chabot | 336 | 24 | WILLIAMS AND JENSEN, PLLC |
| 8 | JENNIFER BAILEY | 336 | 1 | HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN |
| 9 | NAOMI WEBBER | 336 | 11 | LEWIS-BURKE ASSOCIATES, LLC |
| 10 | CHARLES KOLLING | 335 | 7 | BUCHANAN INGERSOLL & ROONEY PC |
| 11 | CHELSEA CAULFIELD Executive Assistant, Rep. Robert Dold; Rep. Ryan Costello; Rep. Dan Newhouse | 335 | 1 | ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY |
| 12 | J RESKOVAC | 335 | 14 | CAPITOL DECISIONS, INC. |
| 13 | MYRIAH JORDAN See prior reports | 335 | 1 | META PLATFORMS, INC. AND VARIOUS SUBSIDIARIES |
| 14 | NICOLE AUSTIN | 335 | 1 | REINSURANCE ASSN OF AMERICA |
| 15 | STANLEY SKOCKI LCR.McEwen/LA.CR.Livingston/PSTHouseAppropCmt/LA.DeWine | 335 | 1 | THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY |
| 16 | BECKY WEBER | 334 | 23 | PRIME POLICY GROUP |
| 17 | JOSH HOLLY Comm. Dir./Spksmn/Staff, H. Armed Svc. Cmte. // Dir. Media Affairs, H. Ed. & Workforce Cmte. // Press Secretary, Rep. Ernie Fletcher | 334 | 21 | HOLLY STRATEGIES INCORPORATED |
| 18 | JOY GREWATZ No federal positions | 334 | 13 | MEGUIRE WHITNEY |
| 19 | KATE BEAULIEU | 334 | 1 | NATIONAL BEER WHOLESALERS ASSOCIATION |
| 20 | RHONDA RICHARDS | 334 | 1 | AARP |
| 21 | DAVID BURT | 333 | 1 | GENENTECH, INC |
| 22 | DEBORAH HO | 333 | 13 | MAPETSI POLICY GROUP |
| 23 | GORDON KENNY | 333 | 13 | MAPETSI POLICY GROUP |
| 24 | JESSE RENTERIA | 333 | 13 | MAPETSI POLICY GROUP |
| 25 | JOHN HARTE | 333 | 13 | MAPETSI POLICY GROUP |
| 26 | JUSTIN BROWN Staff Director, House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs; Staff Director, House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity | 333 | 13 | THE NIMITZ GROUP LLC |
| 27 | LARICKE BLANCHARD | 333 | 1 | UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION |
| 28 | MARC HIMMELSTEIN | 333 | 22 | NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES |
| 29 | MICHAEL ESPOSITO President | 333 | 47 | FEDERAL ADVOCATES, INC. |
| 30 | PAUL BLEIBERG Deputy Chief of Staff and LD, Rep. Reid Ribble LA and LC, Rep. Randy Kuhl LC, Rep. Sherwood Boehlert | 333 | 1 | NATIONAL MILK PRODUCERS FEDERATION |
| 31 | STEPHANIE PETERS | 333 | 1 | MICROSOFT CORPORATION |
| 32 | ALICE GOMEZ | 332 | 11 | CORNERSTONE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, INC. |
| 33 | DAVID HORNE CoS Rick Lazio, HUD;Sr. Counsel FinServ Comm | 332 | 21 | DAVID L. HORNE, LLC |
| 34 | EMMA BISHOP | 332 | 16 | VENN STRATEGIES |
| 35 | HOWARD SCHWEITZER General Counsel, Export-Import Bank | 332 | 59 | COZEN O'CONNOR PUBLIC STRATEGIES |
| 36 | KELLY DELMORE Legislative Assistant; Office of Phil English | 332 | 13 | HOOPER, LUNDY & BOOKMAN, P.C. |
| 37 | KELLY LUGAR Deputy Assistant Secretary, Department of Energy. | 332 | 12 | ELEVATE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, LLC |
| 38 | MICHAEL WERNER | 332 | 37 | HOLLAND & KNIGHT LLP |
| 39 | MICHELLE MATHY | 332 | 28 | CAPITOL COUNSEL LLC |
| 40 | CLARINE RIDDLE Chief of Staff, Senator Joseph Lieberman, 2003-2013. | 331 | 21 | KASOWITZ LLP |
| 41 | DAVID BRIDGES Tax Counsel, Sen. John Barrasso; Tax Counsel, Rep. Tom Reed. | 331 | 40 | CAPITOL COUNSEL LLC |
| 42 | RYAN RUSBULDT | 331 | 1 | NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS |
| 43 | AUKE MAHAR-PIERSMA Staff Director of Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee 2014-2020, Deputy Staff Director of Highways and Transit Subcommittee 2020-2023 | 330 | 19 | CARDINAL INFRASTRUCTURE LLC |
| 44 | CHRISTOPHER JAVENS Tax Counsel, Sen. Grassley, Sen. Finance Comm. | 330 | 29 | CAPITOL TAX PARTNERS, LLP |
| 45 | COURTNEY FLEZZANI | 330 | 1 | NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDERS |
| 46 | DEANNA ARCHULETA Deputy Assistant Secretary, Water and Science, Department of the Interior Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior, Department of the Interior | 330 | 21 | THE VOGEL GROUP |
| 47 | JAY PERRON N/A | 330 | 15 | PRISM GROUP |
| 48 | JESSICA HALL | 330 | 1 | NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDERS |
| 49 | JOHN TIMMONS | 330 | 23 | THE CORMAC GROUP, LLC |
| 50 | JORDAN LACROSSE | 330 | 34 | AVENUE SOLUTIONS |
Ranked by total Senate LDA disclosure filings (2018–2025). Source: OpenLobby analysis of public filings.
Notable Patterns
The Revolving Door
Many of the top lobbyists have prior government experience — former Congressional staffers, agency officials, and even former members of Congress. This "revolving door" gives them insider knowledge and personal relationships that make them exceptionally effective advocates.
Multi-Client Influence
The most active lobbyists represent dozens of clients simultaneously. This concentration of influence means a small number of individuals have outsized impact on legislation across multiple industries and issue areas.
K Street Dominance
The top lobbyists are concentrated at a handful of major firms — many headquartered on or near K Street in Washington, DC. These firms function as influence powerhouses, coordinating lobbying strategies across hundreds of clients.
Methodology
This ranking is based on the total number of Senate LDA disclosure filings on which each lobbyist appears, covering the period 2018–2025. We use filing count as a proxy for activity and influence because:
- More filings indicate more active lobbying across more clients and issues
- Each filing represents a quarterly or semi-annual lobbying engagement
- High filing counts correlate with representation of major, high-spending clients
- Filing frequency is a more reliable measure than self-reported income figures
Explore Individual Lobbyists
Click any lobbyist above to see their full profile — including every client they've represented, every issue they've lobbied on, and their complete filing history.