Clayton T. Cox Sr. VP, Federal Public Affairs, McGuireWoods Consulting LLC

Clayton Cox is an experienced senior vice president on McGuireWoods Consulting’s federal public affairs team in the Washington, D.C., office. Boasting over a decade of experience in prominent roles within national Democratic politics, Clayton offers an unparalleled network of contacts and perspectives to his clients. He focuses on advocating for local governments, higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, artificial intelligence groups and large scale development projects in the southeastern U.S., where he serves as a knowledgeable guide through the intricacies of appropriations and the federal grant process. Clayton has been trusted by large corporations, developers and municipalities to help better understand major pieces of legislation including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act and regulatory actions taken by the administration.

In his most recent accomplishments for clients, Clayton played a pivotal role in the passage of one of only 27 pieces of legislation to be signed into law by President Biden in 2023, for the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. For this work, Cox was awarded the 2025 McGuireWoods Consulting Atkinson-Payne Pro Bono Award.

He has secured tens of millions of dollars in appropriations and earmark requests embedded within legislative framework, highlighting his drive to obtain substantial impact for clients. Clayton also helps higher education institutions successfully navigate the Department of Education to find outcomes that best served their faculty and students. Recently, Clayton aided in securing over $20 million in earmarked funds in the FY26 budget for clients.

A champion for public-private partnerships and broader economic development, Clayton has led advocacy efforts on behalf of one of the largest mixed-use development projects on the east coast, significantly contributing to its success. Additionally, he successfully advocated to alter federal rule guidance to incorporate language favoring local governments for the usage of federal COVID-19 relief programs to better meet constituent needs.

Clayton has served in several national fundraising leadership roles for the Democratic National Committee, culminating in a record-breaking $1.6 billion raised for the Biden Victory Fund for the presidential campaign and serving as senior advisor to Democratic Party Chairman Tom Perez. Clayton also played pivotal fundraising roles for President Obama and Secretary Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and served as a platform committee member for the Democratic National Convention in 2024.

A native of Atlanta, Clayton’s exceptional contributions to his field have been recognized, earning him the title of “40 Under 40” by the University of Georgia Alumni Association for Young Alumni. He is active in Georgia politics, as well as the Atlanta civic community and stays busy with his three young children.