About Us

SWAY is a strategic communications and multi-media production company that specializes in production of top-quality content for TV, radio and digital. At SWAY, we deliver break-out strategy and media that help win campaigns, build support for issues, and improve positioning and imaging of organizations and non-profits.

SWAY is designed to be a smaller, more hands-on firm that delivers on what it promises: day-to-day strategic partnership and attention-getting TV ads, radio, and digital content. SWAY limits the number of clients we take on so we can really dig in and spend the time and energy it takes to craft strategies and ads that are singularly unique to each campaign.

Our Work

Team

JEN BURTON
JEN BURTONFOUNDER
Jennifer Burton is the founder of SWAY, with 25 years of experience working for campaigns in over 40 states. Her flair for producing creative, original ads has helped elect dozens of members of Congress, state-wide office holders and mayors, as well as pass several critical ballot measures and state-wide initiatives.

Jennifer’s clients have included: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, Congresswoman Marie Newman, Attorney General TJ Donovan, Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, New Mexico Auditor Brian Colón, Congressman Peter DeFazio, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, County Executive Calvin Ball, State Senator Sydney Batch, Planned Parenthood, VoteVets, and numerous ballot initiatives and independent expenditure efforts.

Prior to starting SWAY in 2013, Jennifer was a partner in Envision Communications and Murphy Putnam Media. Previously, Jennifer worked at the DCCC and for Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt.

BOBBY GRAVITZ
BOBBY GRAVITZPARTNER
Bobby has spent the last decade helping progressive candidates win tough races up and down the ballot. He’s led efforts to pick up legislative swing-seats in across the county and flipped legislative chambers in Oregon and Washington—winning races with millions in TV spending. He’s helped elect 5 statewide constitutional office-holders from Auditor to Lt. Governor and 5 women to the New Mexico State Court of Appeals. In 2020, his ads helped to pass a statewide ballot measure to reform elections in Alaska, a rare bright spot in the state.

Prior to joining SWAY, Bobby spent 3 years as head speechwriter for U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Before that, he served as press secretary in 6 states—starting in Iowa—on the 2008 Obama campaign. Bobby made his first political ads in a radio studio he built himself in the Tulsa, Oklahoma headquarters of Brad Carson’s 2004 campaign for U.S. Senate.

BRETT 'COOP' COOPER
BRETT 'COOP' COOPERSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Brett Cooper has 15 years of experience working on issue, independent-expenditure, and candidate-centered campaigns, including recent tenures as a Regional Political Director at the DLCC and EMILY’s List.

Over the years, Coop has helped flip over 100 state legislative seats and five legislative chambers, served as Senior Campaigns aide for both NEA and SEIU—where he handled issues from democracy reform to developing a pipeline for minority candidates—and worked on redistricting strategy for AFSCME.

Coop got his start in politics managing legislative races in New Hampshire and has also worked as a field operative on campaigns in Virginia, Iowa, Colorado, Ohio, Louisiana, and Florida.

Chris Leist
Chris LeistSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT - DIGITAL
Chris Leist leads SWAY’s digital strategy efforts and team. Since 2015, Chris has crafted strategy and implemented persuasion, mobilization, voter registration, advocacy, and fundraising campaigns, helping to elect dozens of candidates at the state, local and federal levels, including Senators Doug Jones and Jon Ossoff, and Governor Steve Bullock, as well as advocacy organizations including Protect Our Care, Voto Latino, End Citizens United, the Maryland State Education Association, and Collective PAC.

Before coming to SWAY, Chris had executed over $90 million in digital media spend, helping to elect more than 80 Democratic candidates and register over 250,000 new voters. 

Chris got his start in politics working for President Obama’s re-election campaign in Iowa. He went on to serve as a field operative on campaigns at the state, federal and local levels, including Ed Markey’s 2013 U.S. Senate victory. He is a Massachusetts native and a graduate of Syracuse University.

Services

Our Clients

  • AFSCME

  • BRIAN COLÓN – New Mexico Auditor

  • CALVIN BALL – Howard County Executive

  • CARY MOON – Seattle Mayor

  • DAN MCKEE – RI Lieutenant Governor

  • DCCC

  • DR. JOAQUIN ARAMBULA – CA State Assembly

  • DUSTIN MCDANIEL – AR Attorney General

  • FLORIDA FAIR DISTRICTS

  • IOWA HOUSE DEM. CAUCUS

  • JENNIFER ROBERTS – Charlotte Mayor

  • JILL KAROFSKY – Dane County Judge

  • JILL SCHUPP – MO State Senate

  • JIM HIMES – CT Congress

  • JOANNE KLOPPENBURG – WI Court of Appeals

  • JOE SESTAK – PA U.S. Senate

  • JULIE VARGAS – NM Court of Appeals Judge

  • MARIE NEWMAN – IL Congress

  • MARTIN HEINRICH – NM Senate & Congress

  • MEASURE K – San Mateo County, CA

  • MELINDA KATZ – Queens Borough President

  • MIKE SPANO – Yonkers Mayor

  • NEA

  • NARAL

  • NELLIE GORBEA – RI Secretary of State

  • NICOLE GALLOWAY – Missouri Auditor

  • NO on 1, 2, 3 – Idaho

  • OREGON HOUSE DEM. CAUCUS

  • OREGON SENATE DEM. CAUCUS

  • PETER DEFAZIO – OR Congress

  • PLANNED PARENTHOOD

  • RICH MADALENO – MD Governor

  • SABRINA CERVANTES – CA State Assembly

  • SIERRA CLUB

  • STEUART PITTMAN – Anne Arundel County Executive

  • T.J DONOVAN – VT Attorney General

  • TINA PODLODOWSKI – WA Secretary of State

  • TISH JAMES – NY City Public Advocate

  • UFT

  • VOTEVETS

  • WASH. STATE LEGISLATIVE I.E

  • WENDY DAVIS – TX State Senate

  • WILL JAWANDO – Montgomery County Council

  • YES on MEASURE 85 – Oregon

  • YES on U & P – San Francisco, CA

Contact Us


hello@swaydc.com
T. 301.760.7718
4350 East-West Highway
Suite 350
Bethesda, MD 20814

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