Decorated veteran and former aide to House Majority Whip James Clyburn most recently served as senior advisor to Sen. Cory Booker’s presidential campaign

Washington D.C. – Mercury, a leading global, bipartisan public strategy firm, announced the addition of top Democratic strategist Clay Middleton as a senior vice president in its Washington and South Carolina offices. A decorated veteran who served at both the White House and Department of Energy during the Obama administration, Middleton brings decades of high-level government, military and political experience at the federal, state and municipal levels.

“I’m excited to welcome Clay Middleton to the Mercury family. Clay is not only one of the top Democratic strategists in the country, but also a decorated veteran who served in combat and continues to wear the uniform with distinction,” Mercury Partner Modia “Mo” Butler said. “Mercury prides itself on attracting the best and brightest in our industry, and Clay definitely fits the bill.”

Middleton joins Mercury after serving as a senior advisor to Sen. Cory Booker’s presidential campaign, where he developed the campaign’s Southern strategy and was a senior political advisor to the campaign’s National Political Department. Prior to his work on the Booker campaign, Middleton spent two years as the Director of Business Services for the City of Charleston, S.C. where he managed business and economic development projects, served as a key liaison with industries and individuals looking to do business with the city, and led operations of the city’s Division of Business and Neighborhood Services to promote public-private initiatives to foster a healthy and sustainable business climate.

Middleton served as both the South Carolina State Director in the Hillary for America campaign, overseeing a multi-million-dollar budget, leading staff and managing relationships with elected officials and other key stakeholders, and Florida Regional Political Director. Prior to his work on that campaign, Middleton served in a number of senior roles at the U.S. Department of Energy during the Obama administration, including Congressional Affairs Liaison for the National Nuclear Security Administration and special advisor to the Department of Energy’s Office of Congressional, Intergovernmental and External Affairs, and Office of Economic Impact and Diversity.

Middleton also served as the Associate Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Corporation for National and Community Service, where he liaised with the Domestic Policy Council and coordinated across the federal government on developing and executing national strategies. Prior to that, he spent many years as a key aide to House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D – S.C.).

Middleton is also a decorated veteran and was recently selected for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel as part of a two-decade military career for which he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service, Iraq Campaign Medal, and National Defense Service Medal, among other awards and decorations.

“I am very excited to be joining Mercury’s excellent team and collaborating with some of the best minds and most talented experts in the world,” Middleton said. “I’m looking forward to bringing my deep political and strategic experience to the best firm in the industry.”

About Mercury
Mercury is a high-stakes, bipartisan public strategy firm. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services that includes federal government relations, international affairs, digital influence, public opinion research, media strategy and a bipartisan grassroots mobilization network in all 50 states. Our firm is not just led by top talent — we distinguish ourselves by having senior talent deeply engaged in each project from start to finish, a promise we keep to clients. The firm has an established global presence, with U.S. offices in Washington, DC, New York, California, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Tennessee, as well as international offices in London and Mexico City. Mercury is a part of the Omnicom Public Relations Group.

About Omnicom Public Relations Group
Omnicom Public Relations Group is a global collective of three of the top global public relations agencies worldwide and specialist agencies in areas including public affairs, marketing to women, global health strategy and corporate social responsibility. It encompasses more than 6,300 public relations professionals in more than 370 offices worldwide who provide their expertise to companies, government agencies, NGOs and nonprofits across a wide range of industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group delivers for clients through a relentless focus on talent, continuous pursuit of innovation and a culture steeped in collaboration. Omnicom Public Relations Group is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) that includes more than 200 companies in a wide range of marketing disciplines including advertising, public relations, healthcare,

Contact:
Trent Lefkowitz
[email protected]