Rachael Hartford

Rachael Hartford is a communications and media relations strategist with nearly a decade of experience in politics and on Capitol Hill. At Precision, Rachael is a vice president on the communications team, and works with a variety of clients to implement strategic communications plans and respond to crises on a range of issues in order to drive successful and impactful messages both inside the Beltway and across the country.

Before joining Precision, Rachael served as deputy communications director to Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH). In the Senator’s office, Rachael helped lead communications initiatives both on the national level and in the competitive swing state of Ohio. She worked to develop and implement compelling messaging strategies and drove the office’s media efforts to promote legislative priorities. She did this by developing and executing strategic communications plans for a large and active press team, pitching and working with national and in-state reporters, and staffing the Senator for events and high-level interviews with journalists from around the country. Rachael also helped guide office messaging efforts in times of crisis, including during two impeachment trials, the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent congressional aid packages that millions of Americans and businesses relied upon, and in the aftermath of the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Before this role, Rachael served as Brown’s national press secretary.

Prior to joining Sen. Brown’s office Rachael served in state, regional, national, and leadership communications roles on the press team of Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Rachael worked alongside the Democratic caucus to develop and coordinate messaging and press strategies surrounding hot-button issues in the news and top legislative priorities, and was part of the team that successfully defeated the GOP’s efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2017. On the local and state levels, Rachael managed media relations efforts to effectively communicate the Senator’s policy agenda and his important work in Washington on behalf of New Yorkers.

Rachael lives in Washington, D.C. and is originally from the Hudson Valley in New York State. She holds a bachelor of science degree from Ithaca College.