Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown (D) and Ed Rollins, who managed President Ronald Reagan’s 1984 presidential campaign, are launching a new public affairs firm.
The agency, called Unifire Advisors, will provide strategic consulting service to corporate clients looking to navigate Washington politics.
The new firm pulls together two high-profile political operatives from the left and the right.
Brown was the first Black person to be elected mayor of San Francisco, serving two terms from 1996 to 2004. Prior to that, he was Speaker of the California State Assembly. He was at one point in a relationship with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who at that time was a rising star in the District Attorney’s Office.
“With the power-shift occurring in Washington, it’s critical industries develop comprehensive strategies to strengthen their market position and protect their bottom line,” said Brown. “Enterprises must ensure they have the best messaging and access to a broad array of elected officials and opinion leaders.”
In addition to running the Reagan campaign, Rollins has had senior roles in several GOP administrations. He has also run campaigns in Pakistan, the Philippines, Brazil, Costa Rica and Columbia.
Partners at Unifire will include veteran GOP operatives Brent Lowder and Eric Beach, who worked with Rollins at a pro-Trump super PAC, and Michael McClelland, a principal at another of Brown’s strategic advisory firms.
“The flames of partisanship are burning hotter than ever, so businesses must identify unifying themes and messages to be successful in this environment,” said Rollins. “I have seen the levers of power shift back and forth for decades. Lasting organizations are ones that navigate both sides of the aisle well – which is what we will do at Unifire Advisors.”