Nathan Ballard

Career

In 2000, Ballard was a deputy city attorney and spokesman for the city attorney in San Francisco. He served alongside Kamala Harris, now a U.S. Senator. Ballard was a spokesman for the California Democratic Party in 2002. He was also a spokesman for New Hampshire Senate President Beverly Hollingworth's campaign for governor of New Hampshire. In 2003, Ballard was the spokesman for the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, during the recall of Governor Gray Davis. In 2004, Ballard was a spokesman for U.S. Senator John Kerry's presidential campaign in California. During the 2004 U.S. presidential campaign, Ballard was a spokesman for Wesley Clark. In 2006, Ballard was U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier's spokesman when she campaigned for lieutenant governor of California.

From 2007-2010, Ballard was the communications director for San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. He worked for a coalition of labor unions against a 2010 pension measure in San Francisco. In 2010, Ballard was Rep. Jackie Speier's spokesman when she weighed a run for Attorney General in California. In 2011, Ballard worked for a coalition including labor unions, civic leader Warren Hellman, and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee to pass labor-backed reforms against a rival measure funded by Michael Moritz.

In 2012, Ballard was the spokesman for Proposition 38, a California tax measure for public education. He was also the spokesman for the Coalition for Humane and Ethical Farming Standards, made up of more than 100 chefs in California, seeking to lift the state's ban on foie gras at the time. Ballard was the spokesman for the union representing the San Francisco Symphony musicians during the 2013 strike. In 2011, around the time of the Occupy Oakland protests, Ballard briefly served as a crisis manager for Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, following the resignation of the city's police chief. At that time, he was described as having "lots of law enforcement clients".

In 2013, Ballard was the spokesperson for San Francisco's bid to host the 2016 Super Bowl and the team spokesperson for the Golden State Warriors new arena project. In 2014, he served as the spokesman for the Koret Foundation during its dispute with the founder's widow. Ballard was also a spokesman for the San Francisco Bay Area's bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In 2016, the San Francisco Police Officers Association hired Nathan Ballard for what was described as a "counterattack" against police reform attempts following the controversial killing of Mario Woods by officers and concerns about racism in the city's police department. Ballard was criticized for using exaggerated crime figures in the union's campaign against reform proponent George Gascón, and acknowledged having misread the rates. He was the spokesman for Dede Wilsey during her campaign to remain the head of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. In 2017, Ballard worked for Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf on the Ghost Ship warehouse fire that killed 36 people. Ballard's PR agency, The Press Shop, was criticized for its role in managing public relations related to the Ghost Ship fire.

Ballard is allied with Mayor Ed Lee.

Recognition

In December 2016, Ballard was profiled in San Francisco's "The Power Issue". He was recognized as one of San Francisco's "preeminent media whisperers" with "a junkyard dog persona".