1868 Public Affairs

What 1868 Public Affairs does

1868 Public Affairs is a bipartisan, full-service government relations and public affairs consultancy founded in 2005 and headquartered at 162 West State Street in Trenton, New Jersey. The firm operates with a five-member senior team (Managing Partner Idida Rodriguez, Partners LeRoy J. Jones Jr., Patrick Torpey, and Dan Smith, plus Senior Associate Al Harris) and delivers five integrated service modules: Budget and Legislative Advocacy, Coalition and Grassroots Outreach, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs/Monitoring, Government Marketing and Procurement, and Strategic Planning and Communications. The firm's value proposition rests on the team members' prior senior roles in both Democratic and Republican New Jersey government and political structures, providing clients bipartisan access to state and local decision-makers.

The client base spans large enterprise corporations, nonprofit organizations, and government entities across healthcare (Bayada, CareFinders, RWJBarnabas, Horizon BCBS, PCA program), telecommunications (AT&T, Verizon-NJ, CWA Local 1036), energy (PSE&G), retail (Walmart), automotive (Tesla), gaming (DraftKings, FanDuel), insurance, and real estate development (The Crossings at Brick Church Station, $500M redevelopment). The firm also represents government and nonprofit clients such as NJ Community Development Corporation, Screen Alliance of NJ, Salvation and Social Justice, Borough of Totowa, and Dominion Voting Systems. Documented case-study outcomes include securing reimbursement rate increases exceeding 30% from 2019 to 2024 for a PCA program and securing legislative support for the NJ Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program.

The business model is professional services consulting on a quote-based retainer or engagement basis — pricing is not publicly disclosed. Client acquisition is referral-driven through professional networks and political relationships, with credibility reinforced by team members' recognition on Insider NJ Top 100 Lobbyist Powerlist (all team, 2025), NJBIZ Forty Under 40 and Top 100 Millennials (Dan Smith, 2023), and joint resolutions from U.S. Senate, Congress, and NJ State Legislature (Idida Rodriguez). No external funding, parent company, or technology platform is associated with the firm; it operates as an independent partnership serving exclusively the New Jersey market.

Name

1868 Public Affairs

Legal name

1868 Public Affairs

Website

https://1868publicaffairs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

1868 Public Affairs is a bipartisan New Jersey government relations and public affairs consultancy serving enterprise, government, and nonprofit clients with legislative advocacy, coalition building, procurement support, and strategic communications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Relations Consulting

akta.pro primary industry

Public Affairs, Government Relations & Lobbying (BPAFADAB)

Keywords

• Government relations consulting
• Public affairs services
• Legislative advocacy
• Coalition building
• Political strategy consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Trenton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Government Relations Consulting: Professional services revenue generated through government relations, public affairs consulting, legislative advocacy, coalition building, and strategic communications engagements with corporate, government, and nonprofit clients in New Jersey.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

1868 Public Affairs is a bipartisan full-service government relations and public affairs firm providing consulting services to corporate, government, and nonprofit clients in New Jersey. The firm delivers five interconnected service modules: Budget & Legislative Advocacy, Coalition & Grassroots Outreach, Legislative & Regulatory Affairs/Monitoring, Government Marketing & Procurement, and Strategic Planning & Communications, helping clients navigate the state's complex political landscape.

Product overview

1868 Public Affairs is a bipartisan full-service government relations and public affairs firm that provides a unified suite of consulting services rather than a software product platform. The company offers five interconnected service modules: Budget & Legislative Advocacy, Coalition & Grassroots Outreach, Legislative & Regulatory Affairs/Monitoring, Government Marketing & Procurement, and Strategic Planning & Communications. These services work together to help clients navigate New Jersey's complex political landscape by bridging the gap between private sector interests and government decision-makers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Budget & Legislative Advocacy

Quantifiable outcome

• Secured reimbursement rate increases exceeding 30% from 2019 to 2024 for PCA program, ensuring alignment with mandated wage growth
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Direct peers

• The Herald Group: Government and public affairs firm offering strategic communications, advocacy, and coalition building to corporate clients — competes in the same enterprise advocacy segment with overlapping service categories.
• Public Strategies Impact (PSi): Bipartisan government and public affairs consulting firm with strong NJ and Northeast presence serving corporate, healthcare, and nonprofit clients — competing for similar engagement types and customer profiles as 1868.
• Bisgaier Haff: NJ-based government and public affairs firm focused on Trenton advocacy, regulatory affairs, and coalition building — closely overlapping service offerings and client verticals with 1868 Public Affairs.
• Princeton Public Affairs Group: Established NJ-headquartered bipartisan government affairs firm providing legislative advocacy, regulatory affairs, and procurement support to corporate, nonprofit, and government clients — directly comparable in service mix, NJ-only focus, and client base to 1868 Public Affairs.
• Stateside Associates: State-level government relations firm providing advocacy, monitoring, and association management to corporate clients across multiple state legislatures — overlapping with 1868 on legislative/regulatory monitoring services offered to enterprise clients.
• Capstone Advocacy: State-level government relations and public affairs firm providing direct lobbying, regulatory monitoring, and grassroots campaigns to corporate clients — comparable service model for clients seeking hands-on state advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• Mercury (public affairs firm): Multi-state, multi-national public strategy firm with deep NJ government relations practice and senior bipartisan team. Competes for the same enterprise healthcare, energy, and telecom mandates as 1868 but operates across many states and globally.
• Hill+Knowlton Strategies: Global communications and public affairs agency with deep NJ/state government relations bench providing advocacy, regulatory affairs, and coalition building — comparable at the service-line level though operating within a much larger parent network.
• MultiState Associates: Multi-state government relations and public affairs firm with long-standing NJ practice covering legislative, regulatory, and procurement work for regulated-industry clients analogous to 1868's PSE&G, AT&T, and Horizon BCBS engagements.
• Edelman: Global communications firm with an extensive US public affairs practice serving regulated-industry clients (healthcare, energy, technology) on government relations, issues advocacy, and procurement — overlapping with 1868's enterprise practice at the high end.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/1868trenton
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1868-public-affairs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 1868 Public Affairs