Now that Joe Biden has been elected to the presidency, it's time to update your contacts.
We're entering a new phase in Washington, and that means there are new power players who merit attention. Over the coming months, tech Democrats with ties to Bidenworld will help shape the future of the industry, one friendly phone call at a time.
There's a list of obvious Democrats to watch during a Biden administration. It will be fascinating to see how Eric Schmidt, Reid Hoffman, Dustin Moskowitz and Sheryl Sandberg spend the next four years. But there's a different cast of characters to pay attention to in a Biden administration: the lesser-known Washington Democrats working in tech who have ties to his campaign and inner circle.
We've assembled a list of the Democrats in tech that you need to know over the next four years, according to tech lobbyists, tech executives and Democratic Hill aides that spoke to Protocol. Some of them could be considered for jobs in the administration; others will have an outsized voice on tech issues thanks to their links to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Either way, they will be at the frontlines of the tech industry's efforts to influence and adjust to the new administration.
You might not have heard them all yet, but it's time to change that.
Jay Carney, Amazon, SVP of global corporate affairs
D.C. insiders have been chattering about the future of Amazon executive Jay Carney, the former Obama White House spokesman who served as Biden's press secretary from 2009 to 2011 and acted as a bundler for his campaign. One source close to Carney said they hadn't received any indication that he's interested in leaving his prime position at Amazon to join a Biden administration; a tech executive said, "I don't see Jay having any intention of leaving Amazon." But his close ties to the president-elect and his orbit could benefit Amazon as the company faces intensifying scrutiny of its labor practices and antitrust issues in a Democratic Washington.
Tony Russo, T-Mobile, VP of federal government relations
Biden is literally the godfather of Tony Russo's daughter. The two men have shared a close bond for decades, since Russo served as Biden's legislative counsel in the mid-1990s.
Today, Russo heads legislative affairs at T-Mobile and has access to Biden's ear on tech and telecom issues. "Tony is in that small universe of people who not only know the vice president but also understand his history, and his thought processes, and how he looks at these issues," said one longtime Biden advisor.
The president-elect has a much longer history dealing with telecom issues than the Silicon Valley giants. And Russo will play a role as the administration grapples with the best approach to the future of 5G and closing the so-called "digital divide."
"I'm very happy where T-Mobile is situated for some of the goals of this administration," Russo told Protocol. "We have a lot of similar interests. The devil's in the details always, but I would say that we're very optimistic."
Chris Lehane, Airbnb, head of global policy and communications
Chris Lehane is best known in tech circles as the fiery Airbnb executive with a direct line to CEO Brian Chesky and a penchant for picking (and winning) fights. But in Washington, he's widely known as the prominent Democratic strategist who helped defend the Clintons through a string of scandals and served as the spokesman for former Vice President Al Gore. Those positions have left him with friends and respect among the Democratic players who will fill a Biden administration.
An operative with equally bold reputations in Washington and Silicon Valley, Lehane will certainly use his political savvy to make Airbnb's case over the next four years.
Lehane told Protocol that he believes the tech industry should be focusing energy and attention on how to help fight COVID-19. "Tech should not be asking the Biden administration what it can do for tech, but what tech could do for the country," Lehane said.
Airbnb is well-positioned to work with a Biden administration, considering many senior staff have ties back to Obamaworld and Democratic politics. Nick Papas, Airbnb's director of global corporate and policy communications, formerly worked in the Obama White House and administration. And two Airbnb employees, Courtney O'Donnell and Kim Rubey, are currently on leaves of absence to work for the Biden campaign.
Tony West, Uber, chief legal officer
The next four years could be particularly rough for Uber as a Biden administration takes on gig economy companies regarding how they treat their workers. Both Biden and Harris have pledged to side with drivers in their ongoing labor disputes with Uber and Lyft — which leaves Harris at odds with her brother-in-law Tony West.
West, one of Harris' top political advisors since 2003, was the public face of Uber's fight against Proposition 22 in California. A Harris spokesperson told the LA Times that West has never lobbied Harris or anyone on her campaign on behalf of Uber, but it's hard to imagine that the connection will be irrelevant during a Biden-Harris administration. Gig economy issues will likely be a focus of the new Labor Department under Biden.
West was a bundler for Biden, and Protocol has learned of some speculation within Uber that he could leave his job for a Biden administration position.
Jason Mahler, Oracle, VP of government affairs
Over the last four years, Oracle has solidified its reputation as a Trump-friendly tech company: Its CEO, president and top lobbyist all maintained ties to Trumpworld. Democrats recently criticized the company over its handling of a possible deal with TikTok, accusing Oracle of capitalizing on its ties to the president.
Now, the company and its lobbying shop will have to pivot if it hopes to save face with the new Biden administration, lobbyists and Hill aides told Protocol.
"They're going to have a lot of work to do here," said one tech lobbyist. "It's the flip of a coin. The more you leaned into Trump, the more cleanup you've got to do."
At least for now, some of that work will fall on Jason Mahler, the company's top Democratic lobbyist and a well-respected veteran of tech policy circles.
Mahler, who formerly served as a legislative assistant to California Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Anna Eshoo, has lobbied for Oracle since 2010 and mostly maintains a low profile. But several sources said Oracle would be smart to put him out front more often in the coming months — and to hire some new Democrats, too.
Allen Thompson, Intel, VP of US government relations
Allen Thompson came on as the head of Intel's lobbying shop only four months ago, and his hire was likely a good bet for the company as the Democrats come into power. Thompson worked for Democrats on the House Committee on Homeland Security and was a principal at the prominent lobbying firm Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas. He spent the past six years at Raytheon Technologies and maintains relationships within the Biden camp.
The next administration's decisions on U.S.-China relations will be consequential for Intel, and Thompson will be a friendly face for establishment Democrats as he leads the company's lobbying efforts in D.C.
"The big thing we're looking to work with a Biden administration [on] is continuing the Congress' work to incentivize U.S. semiconductor manufacturing to maintain America's technological leadership," Thompson told Protocol.
Lisa Jackson, Apple, VP of environment, policy and social initiatives
Apple arguably has the quietest and most fastidiously nonpartisan lobbying shop of the four Big Tech companies. It's also known to stay out of the fray when it comes to some of the most divisive issues in tech, remaining narrowly focused on specific policy areas like tariffs and trade. But sources close to the company said one of Apple's biggest assets in a Biden administration will be Lisa Jackson, an Apple policy executive and former head of the Environmental Protection Agency under Obama. Jackson and Biden worked together on energy issues and maintain a positive relationship now — not to mention that Cynthia Hogan, who worked under Jackson at Apple, is now a prominent staffer on Biden's transition team.
Tom Manatos, Spotify, VP of government relations
Tom Manatos spent the first 12 years of his career as a big Democrat-about-town: nine years in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, a year and a half as a senior adviser to the chair of the Democratic National Committee, and two months as a deputy director on Obama's presidential inaugural committee in 2012. He's since veered into the world of tech lobbying, first at the Internet Association and now as Spotify's head of government relations, but he maintains deep ties within Democratic circles and the Biden campaign. Last year, he spoke at an event held by the University of Delaware's Biden Institute.
Since 2016, Manatos has led Spotify's efforts on antitrust in the U.S., and his voice will remain pivotal as the Department of Justice and state attorneys general continue to pursue antitrust investigations into the tech giants.
Amanda Anderson, Square's head of policy and government relations for the Americas
There aren't many tech lobbying shops headed by Democrats in Washington, but Amanda Anderson is one of the best-known and connected Democrats leading a government affairs team outside of the Big Tech companies. Anderson spent five years at Uber before becoming Square's head of policy and government relations last September.
Before that, Anderson spent seven years working in the Obama White House, first as a special assistant to the chief of staff and then in the legislative affairs office. She's seen as a fresh, energetic voice on tech issues and will likely know many of the Democrats flooding into the White House.
Rebecca Prozan, Google, senior manager for government affairs and public policy
Rebeca Prozan is one of the main D.C. tech players who maintains a close relationship with Harris. Prozan was Harris' campaign manager the first time she ran for San Francisco District Attorney and currently boasts "Alum for VP Elect @KamalaHarris" in her Twitter bio. Harris is expected to play an important role in shaping tech policy during the Biden administration, considering her familiarity with the issues and close ties to Silicon Valley, and Prozan will be at the forefront as Google continues to navigate a new maze of thorny issues including antitrust and Section 230.
Other prominent Democrats at Google include Johanna Shelton, Google's director of public policy and former counsel for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Alexandra Veitch, a former Obama White House staffer and YouTube's public policy lead in the Americas and emerging markets.
TBD, Facebook
Several lobbyists and executives said it's hard to name a top Democrat focused on policy and government relations at Facebook, a gap that the company will surely need to fill in order to save face as it deals with escalating scrutiny during a Biden administration.
Of course, Sandberg is a reliable Democrat at the top of the company who was once considered for Hillary Clinton's Treasury Secretary (though she stayed away from contributing directly to Biden's campaign this year). And Facebook executive Nick Clegg was formerly the leader of the Liberal Democrats in the U.K. But Facebook's D.C. office is dominated by Republicans, including Joel Kaplan, Kevin Martin and Greg Maurer.
Some sources named Brian Rice, a former legislative assistant to John Kerry and Verizon lobbyist, as one of the best-known Democrats in Facebook's policy shop. But the company's government relations team is going to have to work aggressively to shake off its Trump-friendly reputation. "I would not be surprised if you see some changes there," said one tech executive.
