Declaration Media

Who We Are

We’ve worked on presidential campaigns, flipped House and Senate seats, and won Governor’s mansions in some of the most ruby red parts of the country. We help you win and have fun doing it.

Meredith Kelly

Meredith is a seasoned communications professional and campaign operative who has spent over a decade directing strategy and advising top officials at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), in the United States Senate and on the presidential campaign trail.

The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Politico have recognized Meredith for her work as the DCCC’s top spokeswoman in 2018 when Democrats flipped the House of Representatives, and for “overseeing the group’s media strategy during the midterm elections.” Democrats won 40 total seats that year – the most in any congressional election since 1974.

Meredith also served as Communications Director for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s presidential campaign. She crafted and drove a unique message that established Kirsten in a historically large primary field, managed a multi-state communications apparatus, and led the strategy for multiple presidential debates and cable town halls. Meredith got her start in politics working in Senator Schumer’s communications office. Over her nearly five years in his office, Meredith served as a senior spokesperson and worked closely with the Senate Majority Leader.

Most recently, Meredith worked making political ads for causes and clients across the country, including in California, New Mexico, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Montana.

AJ Lenar has been delivering award winning advertising and topflight strategy for nearly two decades. A former Senior Vice President for GMMB, a leading political advertising firm, AJ led communications efforts for top environmental groups, major foundations and labor unions, as well as Mayoral, House, Senate, Gubernatorial, and Presidential races in the U.S. and around the world. AJ’s ads have been called “brilliant”, “wildly creative”, and “powerful” by publications including The New York Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine and many others across the country.

As part of the core creative team for President Obama, AJ’s ads were seen by millions of Americans in battleground states across the country. One of the ads AJ wrote, filmed and produced for the President was awarded “Best Television Advertisement of The Year” by Campaigns and Elections Magazine, which is an honor he has won multiple times.

Most recently, AJ produced advertising for a top independent expenditure campaign that helped flip two Georgia Senate seats blue. Previously, AJ served as senior strategist and chief ad maker for Joe Cunningham’s historic 2018 campaign in South Carolina’s First Congressional District. On Election Night, SC-1 was one of the reddest districts in the entire country to flip blue – electing a democrat to that seat for the first time in four decades. The Charleston Post and Courier called the win “seismic” and “a stunning upset”. Internationally, AJ has worked on an anti-tobacco initiative in Nigeria, a clean energy campaign in the United Arab Emirates and a successful Mayoral contest in Tirana, Albania, which was awarded the International Campaign of the Year.

Trey has spent more than a decade managing campaigns for candidates pursuing public office ranging from the State Senate to the U.S. Senate and everything in between. In 2014, he managed the re-election campaign for U.S. Senator Mark Warner. In 2016, he was campaign manager for Roy Cooper’s successful campaign for Governor in North Carolina. This victory made Governor Cooper the first challenger in the history of the state to beat an incumbent Governor. The Washington Post called the victory a “major coup for Democrats” and a “bright spot in an otherwise dismal election year.”

Trey was the Campaign Director for the Democratic Governors Association in the 2018 cycle, helping elect seven new Democratic Governors, including leading the independent effort that ousted Governor Scott Walker. In 2019 he continued his work for the DGA leading the independent effort in Kentucky that defeated incumbent Governor Matt Bevin in what Time Magazine called a “stunning victory.”

Most recently Trey served as Senior Adviser for Governor Roy Cooper’s re-election campaign, as well as the President and Founder of Lamar Street Communications that led the digital advertising effort for Priorities USA in the Arizona, Maine, a North Carolina Senate races, and produced independent expenditure television ads that helped Teresa Leger Fernandez and Ritchie Torres win tough primary battles.

Maria Hurtado

Maria is a battle tested communications professional who has worked on Capitol Hill, Mark Kelly’s Senate campaign, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s presidential campaign, and advised on advocacy campaigns on behalf of the American Lung Association, Vera Institute of Justice, and the California Immigrant Policy Center. Most recently, Maria worked in the House of Representatives as Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez’s (NM-03) Communications Director.

She set up a freshman office and guided the congresswoman’s messaging through the Jan. 6th insurrection, impeachment trial, covid relief, and the reconciliation process. She helped drive messaging that established the congresswoman as a national leader in environmental justice and voting
rights issues.

Maria also served as Mark Kelly’s Senate campaign Press Secretary in 2020 where she acted as an on-the-record spokesperson, coordinated multiple ad shoots, and helped execute the campaign’s earned media strategy across three media markets. She also worked on Senator Gillibrand’s presidential campaign where she served as the primary spokesperson for Hispanic media and worked on the debate preparation team.

Maria got her start working in politics as an organizer in North Carolina for the Hillary Clinton campaign. She later served as a press and media consultant for nonprofits and advocacy campaigns working to push back against the Trump administration’s immigration, environmental, and criminal justice policies.

Our Mission

Most people don’t like political ads. And despite doing this for a living, we acknowledge this cold, hard fact. It’s not without merit – for years, consultants have been producing ads that are more likely to make voters change the channel than change their behavior.

We don’t do cookie cutter creative, one size fits all media plans, or messaging that voters have heard a million times before. We design every race we take on to look and feel unique. We make sure the buying and placement of both TV and digital are tailored to fit where you are running and give the best bang for your buck. And above all, we are committed with every fiber of our being to making ads that twist arms, touch hearts, change behaviors and, yes, win elections.

What We Do

Our Services

TV And Digital Advertising
Strategic Communications Consulting
Media Buying
Media Training & Speech Training
Debate Preparation & Strategy
Crisis Communications Guidance