Over the past couple of days, I have been besieged with calls and emails asking me if I had heard the news – that the veteran campaign team of Wayne Johnson and Tim Clark had split up – and had gone through a political divorce.  One e-mailer even told me he had heard that there had been a physical altercation between the two!  Well, for all of those drama lovers out there, I am sorry to let you down – but Wayne is not in a cast, and Tim is not wearing a bandage over one eye.  But there is a story to be told – and having now spoken with both Wayne and Tim, here is what is going on.

The short version: after a very successful run for many years together at JohnsonClark, close friends Wayne and Tim have decided to go their own directions, though they will continue to service mutual existing clients, and will likely work on various projects together in the future, where it makes sense. 

Wayne will continue to serve as President of JohnsonClark Consulting.  Yeah, I know it is confusing.  The “Clark” of JohnsonClark is leaving, but his name stays on the door.  Sounds like the kind of thing that happens at a prestigious law firm!  JohnsonClark will continue to engage in political consulting, with an emphasis on initiative campaigns, television and radio creative production, public affairs and some statewide candidate campaigns. Wayne is a longtime veteran of politics, and if I might take some license, he would be the Emperor to Tim’s Darth Vader.  Both respected, both feared, but clearly Wayne has a lengthy pedigree in political consulting that will serve him, and his current and future clients well.  Senior hand Tim Rosales will continue to head up JohnsonClark’s public affairs arm. 

Tim is opening up a new firm, Clark Davis Associates, and his firm will be focused more directly on candidate campaign consulting, as well as providing corporate political affairs counsel.  Partnering with Clark with be Bob Davis.  While a new name to many, Bob Davis’ works are not unfamiliar as he has toiled behind the scenes on projects for JohnsonClark for many years.  In fact I recall Bob doing yeoman’s work many, many years ago coordinating efforts for the recall campaign of turncoat GOPer Paul Horcher.  Davis has had his own firm, Thrive Communications, for many years.  Coming over to Clark Davis with Tim is Stephanie Griffing, who has worked closely with Tim on candidate campaigns.

JohnsonClark will stay put in its current Capitol Mall digs, and the presumption is that given the nature of candidate campaign work, Clark Davis will likely set up shot a stone’s throw from the State Capitol.

So, to circle back to where I started.  Yes, it’s true, Wayne and Tim are pretty much going their separate ways on the business side – but it was a mutual decision, and they will continue to work closely together, and Wayne is still on the hook to buy birthday presents for all of Tim’s (many) daughters.

If you want to reach out to Wayne or Tim directly, just send them a note via FR and we’ll forward it to either or both of them.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.