david smith

A co-founder of alignco, David got the campaign bug early. Just days after graduation, he packed his Oldsmobile Delta 88 and drove from upstate New York to Seattle for his first Senate race. While his candidate didn’t quite make it through the primary, his Oldsmobile did carry him safely back across the country – barely. Since then, David has helped elect senators, governors, and Members of Congress from Virginia to Oregon, and many states in between. His award winning ads and strategic counsel have helped pass legislation and win ballot initiatives on some of the most consequential political and policy battles of our time, including health care reform, prescription drug prices, early childhood development, tobacco control, and protecting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Along the way, David has advised some of the biggest and most innovative leaders in the philanthropic and nonprofit world, including AARP, American Heart Association, Arnold Ventures, Blue Meridian Partners, Patients for Affordable Drugs, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Before co-founding alignco, David was a partner at GMMB where he helped lead the firm’s domestic health care and political work. Prior to GMMB, he worked at Greenberg Research, serving as research director for the polling operation of Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign. David graduated from Colgate University and earned a master’s degree from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.