Government relations and public affairs · Boise, Idaho
We put your issue in front of the right people and get it resolved.
Primus Policy Group represents clients before the Idaho Legislature, the Governor’s Office, state agencies, local governments and Congress. The firm is led by David Lehman, who directed policy for an Idaho governor and advised a U.S. Secretary of the Interior before he began advising clients in 2009.
Schedule a consultation- Since 2001
- Active in Idaho politics and public policy
- Idaho Governor’s Office
- Policy Director and Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Dirk Kempthorne
- U.S. Department of the Interior
- Senior Advisor to the Secretary, appointed in 2006
- Since 2009
- Advising Idaho-based and national companies on complex public policy
The firm
Relationships get your issue heard. Expertise gets it resolved.
Primus Policy Group is a full-service government relations, public affairs and issue management firm headquartered in Boise, Idaho. We work with clients to plan and deliver favorable outcomes on legislative and regulatory issues, and we represent them before state agencies and local governments on matters that never reach the Legislature. Our experience runs through the federal, state and local levels of government, so we know the people who decide your issue and the policy, budget and process behind their decision. That is how we put it in front of the right people and reach the right result.
Services
Advocacy, strategy and counsel at every level of government.
Lobbying
Every client gets an advocacy plan built for its issue. We work both houses of the Legislature and the Governor’s Office, and we pair that plan with relationships built over more than two decades in Idaho public policy. You engage at the moments that matter, help shape good policy and finish the session in a stronger position.
Policy Development
Winning outcomes start with a sound plan. Whether you face a single issue or need engagement at the highest levels, we help you build and execute a strategy that solves the problem, drives change and advances your bottom line or your major project. We know the policymaking process from first draft to final signature, and that knowledge is your advantage when the goal is to change how government works.
Federal Advocacy
Policy and appropriations rarely stop at the state line. What starts in Washington often lands in the Statehouse, and funding decisions made in one capital shape the options in the other. We have worked inside both, at the U.S. Department of the Interior and in the Idaho Governor’s Office, so we advocate for you on Capitol Hill and in Boise with equal command.
Appropriations
The budget process is as frustrating as it is complex, and it rewards the people who know how it works. We have managed a state operating budget from the inside, and we maintain strong working relationships with appropriators and committee staff. We use both to help you identify, protect and expand your funding and policy priorities at every stage of the appropriations process.
Public Relations
Complex policy issues attract media attention, and the coverage can shape the outcome. We work directly with reporters and editors to make sure your message is reported accurately and your issue is explained in terms the public can readily understand. When the story breaks, you are ready for it.
Contract Procurement
Government contracts are often shaped before the solicitation is published. We introduce you to key agency decision makers early, decode the procurement rules so your response meets every requirement, and provide the strategic advice that turns a compliant proposal into a winning one.
Principal
David Lehman
David Lehman is the principal and owner of Primus Policy Group. He has been active in Idaho politics and public policy since 2001, first as a senior advisor inside state and federal government, where he led the development and passage of several important initiatives, and since 2009 as a consultant advising Idaho-based and national companies on complex public policy issues.
In the Idaho Statehouse, David served as Policy Director and Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Dirk Kempthorne. He was responsible for developing, passing and executing the Governor’s policy agenda and for managing the state’s operating budget.
In 2006, Secretary Kempthorne appointed David Senior Advisor to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of the Interior. He advised the Secretary on policy and budget matters ranging from energy and public land use planning to border security and law enforcement in Indian Country.
At Interior, David led the development of three major initiatives that were recommended in President George W. Bush’s 2008 federal budget and funded by Congress. He also represented the Department on the White House National Synthetic Drug Control Taskforce and chaired the Interior Department’s Energy Policy Committee.
David is a graduate of Kalamazoo College, with degrees in economics and political science.
“David’s knowledge of the legislative process, relationships with key decision makers at all levels of government, and strategic approach to actually getting things done makes him invaluable to our government relations efforts.”
Contact
Start with a conversation about your issue.
Tell us what you are facing and what a good outcome looks like. In a first consultation we will tell you where your issue stands, who decides it and how we would approach it.