Ken Morley and Philip de Vellis, two longtime Democratic political operatives, have joined forces to launch Beacon Media — a Democratic media consulting firm based in Washington, D.C.  

“We formed Beacon Media to provide Democratic candidates and issue advocacy groups with advertising that combines groundbreaking creative with a solid strategic foundation that leverages the latest delivery technology to reach voters in today’s fractured media landscape,” de Vellis said in a news release, provided to CQ Roll Call.  

Morley and de Vellis have spent decades in Washington, D.C., working for a who’s who of Democratic candidates.  

De Vellis is a former partner at Putnam Partners, Mark Putnam’s top Democratic advertising firm, where he advised top-tier clients including the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and House Majority PAC, a super PAC that boosts House Democrats.  

De Vellis also created ads for President Barack Obama’s two presidential campaigns.  

Morley has worked on a number of successful campaigns, including as manager for now former-Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz’s first congressional race in Philadelphia in 2004, as well as Gov. Jay Nixon’s successful Missouri gubernatorial race in 2008.  

In the 2014 cycle, Morley served as a general consultant to the Democratic Governors Association, where he worked on independent expenditures in top races in Connecticut, Florida and Illinois.  

Also joining the firm is Jarrod Backous. Backous spent the 2012 and 2014 cycles at House Majority PAC, serving on the political desk. Backous has also had stints at the DSCC, where he led the candidate service desk, and managed now-former Rep. Brad Schneider’s 2012 campaign in Illinois’ 10th District.  

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