Commentary: From Corporate Lobbyist to Progressive Advocate, the Missing Chapter of Mayoral Candidate Dewayne Davis’ Background

As a candidate for mayor, Davis has campaigned as an unabashed progressive – he has even gone so far as to say that he would stop clearing encampments if elected. On his campaign website, Davis highlights his past work as “a minister, husband, policy advocate, professor, and proud resident of North Minneapolis” and states that “Throughout my entire adult life, I’ve urged the government to serve all people.”

But Davis’ campaign website is silent about another chapter of his life – his nearly three years of work as the top lobbyist for the student loan corporation Sallie Mae. According a work history posted to his LinkedIn account, Davis was Director of Government Relations for Sallie Mae from 2005 to 2008.

Sallie Mae’s political activity during Davis’ tenure complicates his message of uncompromising progressivism. While Davis was directing their government relations portfolio, Sallie Mae’s political donations skewed toward Republican candidates for Congress and the White House.

According to OpenSecrets, a website that uses data from the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) to track campaign finance activity, a majority of Sallie Mae’s PAC contributions went to Republican candidates during both federal election cycles under Davis’s leadership in government relations. 55% of Sallie Mae’s PAC contributions were directed toward Republican candidates during the 2006 election cycle, and 53% were directed toward Republicans during the 2008 cycle.

Republican presidential candidates appear to have received especially large contributions from Sallie Mae’s PAC, including:

• $250,000 (the legal maximum) to George W. Bush’s Inaugural Committee
• $20,000 to John McCain’s presidential campaign,
• $10,000 to Mitt Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign

In addition to leadership role in Sallie Mae’s political activities, Davis also personally made more than 40 donations to Sallie Mae’s PAC during his tenure at the corporation.

Conclusion

Of the three major candidates running for mayor of Minneapolis, Dewayne Davis is the most unknown. After all, his competition includes a well-known two-term incumbent mayor, and a state legislator who have records in public office that shed some light on their politics and how they govern.

Davis’ work as a minister and professor are certainly relevant to his candidacy for the mayor’s office. But Davis’ work as head of government relations for Sallie Mae was one of his most senior roles where he was working directly in politics and government. At a moment when Minneapolis voters are eager to learn more about the candidates, Davis’ work at Sallie Mae is also worth examining.