Former Vance Aides Move to Lobbying Firms, Building 2028 Campaign Infrastructure

Three senior aides to Vice President JD Vance have joined major Washington lobbying firms in the past two months, expanding his network of policy and fundraising connections ahead of a potential 2028 presidential run. Sean Cooksey, Jim Durrett, and Wesam Hassanein departed for BGR Group, Invariant, and Continental Strategy respectively, positioning themselves to support Vance from the private sector.

Cooksey served as Vance's chief legal and policy adviser since the start of Trump's second term in January 2025. Durrett and Hassanein joined the vice president's office in May 2025, with Durrett handling operations as deputy chief of staff and Hassanein advising on Middle East policy. All three departures occurred between mid-February and mid-April 2026.

The moves reflect a deliberate strategy to build what insiders call Vance's "outside network." A person close to Vance's team, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated: "Whatever he does, you can expect Vance alumni to jump into action to support him." This network will be critical if Vance pursues the presidency—lobbying firms provide access to wealthy donors, Super PAC operators, and corporate executives who fund campaigns.

Vance arrived in Washington less than four years ago as a freshman Ohio senator with minimal political connections inside the capital. Unlike established presidential candidates who accumulate networks across decades in government, Vance must build his apparatus quickly. GOP lobbyist Stewart Verdery of Monument Advocacy noted that presidential candidates typically draw from Senate staff, home-state connections, and D.C. political networks. "The Vice President has already made that jump," Verdery said, referring to Vance's current position. "The fact that some of his aides are moving into private sector positions just moves them from one circle on the chart to the other."

The departures also offer financial incentives. Lobbying positions pay more than government salaries, allowing former aides to accumulate wealth while maintaining proximity to Vance's political operation. Verdery added: "It does make sense to try to use some of the time between now and then to make some money and to help him from a different seat, knowing that you might be called to go back in at a lower government salary if he was to win."

Context

Vance's situation contrasts sharply with recent vice presidents who pursued the presidency. When Joe Biden ran in 2020, he leveraged a massive network of lobbyists accumulated across a 36-year Senate career and eight years as vice president. Kamala Harris, who became the Democratic nominee in 2024 after Biden's withdrawal, had a shorter Washington tenure and faced a scramble by lobbyists to establish relationships with her team.

Michael LaRosa, a former Biden special assistant who now works at Ballard Partners, explained Biden's advantage: "There are layers upon layers of former aides-turned lobbyists, consultants, think tankers, lawyers, CEOs, ambassadors, and even elected officials whom he could, for the most part, count on for support, expertise, and financial backing." By contrast, Vance's staff departures have generated positive sentiment. The person close to Vance's team stated that unlike Harris's aides—whose departures from the Biden administration made headlines amid reports of office tension—Vance's departing staff "have only positive things to say" and remain engaged with the administration.

Vance has not announced his 2028 intentions. President Trump, who is constitutionally barred from a third term, has publicly praised Vance as "fantastic," signaling potential support for a Vance candidacy.

What's Next

The infrastructure Vance is building will likely accelerate if he formally announces a 2028 campaign. His network of former aides in lobbying positions will become operational fundraisers and policy advisers, leveraging their new private-sector roles to mobilize donors and develop campaign platforms. The coming months will reveal whether Vance's accelerated network-building translates into the kind of established political operation that typically defines frontrunner candidacies.