Brian Ballard Lobbyist: Florida Businesses Unite Behind Romney

NEW YORK, NY, August 09, 2012

In every election year, there are always a few "battleground states" wherein voters seem to hold the future of the country in their hands. These are the "undecided" states that analysts say will determine the election, and as a result, they are the states that receive the most attention from the press--to say nothing of the candidates themselves. In 2012, Florida is one of those battleground states, and it is one in which Republican candidate Mitt Romney is aggressively attacking President Obama on his small business record. The Romney campaign's efforts in Florida have attracted the attention of business owners across the state, as well as lobbyist and Romney's Florida Finance Co-Chair Brian Ballard.

Fox News reports of one particular incident in which the Romney campaign put the President's small business record front and center before Florida's voters. Last week, the Romney camp unveiled more than a dozen "I Built It" billboards across the City of Orlando--timed to coincide with President Obama's own campaign stop in that city.

The billboards display the faces and words of Florida small business owners, addressing the President and claiming full ownership of their own success. The billboards make reference to the President's "you didn't built it" gaffe, a comment that has provided the Romney campaign with ample ammunition over the last several weeks.

According to Brian Ballard, these well-timed billboards send exactly the kind of message that candidate Romney needs to be sending if he wishes to win over Florida. "There are always plenty of hot button issues among voters, but this year, in the State of Florida and in the U.S. as a whole, it's all about the economy," says Ballard. "It's all about jobs."

Brian Ballard has worked as a lobbyist in the State of Florida for years, and his knowledge of the state's electorate has led to his role as a National Leadership Team member for the Romney camp. He says that small business owners are, in many ways, the heart of Florida's voting block.

"Florida is a state that is filled with many proud business owners," Ballard opines. "Some of those businesses are doing well, but others are really struggling. These are all people who need to know that their president is someone who understands the needs of small businesses, and that's exactly the kind of message Mitt Romney is sending them right now."

Ballard's comments are echoed in the Fox report, which quotes Florida business owners--many of them independent voters--who were dismayed and frustrated by President Obama's controversial remarks.

ABOUT:

Brian Ballard is a government relations professional and long-time lobbyist who currently presides over his own firm, Ballard Partners, Inc. He possesses a wealth of expertise in fields such as health care, education, and election reform, and has represented clients from across the State of Florida before the legislative and executive branches of the state's government. He previously served as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Governor, where he oversaw 11 cabinet positions while also playing a crucial role in policy development.