1788 Media is a Democratic Party-affiliated political consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. Established in January 2025, the firm was founded by two former advisers for the presidential campaigns of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). According to a report by Politico, the firm claimed to be focused on promoting state and national campaigns for Democratic Party candidates running in the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 Democratic Party presidential primaries. ¹

Background

1788 Media is a Washington D.C-based consulting firm founded in January 2025 to provide strategic and advertising services for Democratic Party candidates running in future election cycles. Its founders, Mark Longabaugh and Joe Caiazzo, were previous advisers to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) during his 2016 and 2020 campaigns for the Democratic Party presidential nomination. Longabaugh was a strategist for Sen. Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign while Caiazzo was a senior state aide for Sen. Sanders’ 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns. ¹

According to a report by Democratic Underground, Longabaugh previously ran a Democratic Party-affiliated consulting firm called Devine, Mulvey, Longabaugh before it shut down around the same time as 1788 Media’s establishment. At the same time, Julian Mulvey, Longabaugh’s prior partner at the firm, along with Rebecca Katz, a lead strategist for Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), and Tommy McDonald, who previously worked on campaigns for Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) and former Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), announced they would jointly start a similar consulting firm Fight Agency.” ²

According to its website, the firm was named 1788 Media due to 1788 being the year of the first United States presidential election. It was also the year that both Longbaugh and Caiazzo had their home states of Massachusetts and Maryland ratify the U.S. Constitution. ³

1788 Media’s website displays ads for the presidential campaigns of several Democratic Party and Independent members, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and former president Joe Biden, as well as an ad targeting former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory (R). Several campaign ads were listed as being funded by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Nuestro PAC. ⁴

Founders

Mark Longabaugh

Mark Longabaugh graduated from Miami University with a major in history. He was a partner at Wild Bunch Media for 7 years, then a partner of Democratic political consulting firm Devine, Mulvey, Longabaugh for almost 12 years before starting 1788 Media. ⁵

Longabaugh was a senior vice president for political affairs for the League of Conservation Voters and led an advocacy campaign with the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund that lead to unseating then-Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), then chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. ⁶

Longabaugh managed the 1988 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary for then-Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-MO) ⁷ and the 2000 Democratic presidential primary campaign for then-Sen. Bill Bradley (D-NJ). ⁸ He was also helped managed the 1992 Bill Clinton–Al Gore presidential campaign within the state of Ohio. ⁶

Longabaugh was also a strategist for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) during his 2016 presidential campaign. In 2022 he allegedly urged Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), considered a “close ally” to Sanders, to run for President if then-President Joe Biden chose not to run for re-election. ⁹

As of January 2025, Longabaugh also teaches a political advertising course with the School of Campaign Management at George Washington University. ⁶

Joe Caiazzo

Joe Caiazzo graduated from Harvard University with a master’s in public administration. He held senior positions in the 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). He was the Rhode Island state director for the Clinton 2016 Presidential Campaign following the Democratic primary that year. He also helped manage the campaigns of several Democratic Party candidates including Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and former Rep. Joseph Kennedy III (D-MA). ^{10 11}

As of January 2025, Caizzo is a trainer for the National Democratic Training Committee and a partner with Boston-based public affairs firm JCN Group. ¹¹ He is also a political partner at the left-of-center think tank Truman National Security Project. ¹²

1. Holly Otterbein. “Ex-Sanders staffers start new consulting firm with an eye to 2028.” Politico. January 30, 2025. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/30/mark-longabaugh-joe-caiazzo-firm-00201437
2. Holly Otterbein. “Former Sanders, Fetterman campaign consultants start new firm aimed at winning back working-class voters.” Democratic Underground. January 27, 2025. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://www.democraticunderground.com/13241066
3. “About Us.” 1788 Media. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://1788media.com/#about
4. 1788 Media homepage. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://1788media.com/
5. LinkedIn – Mark Longabaugh. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-longabaugh-239a8721/
6. “Meet Mark Longabaugh.” 1788 Media – About. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://1788media.com/#about
7. Max. “Richard Gephardt Biography: A Progressive Force in American Politics.” Broad Biography. July 17, 2023. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://broadbiography.com/biography/politicians/richard-gephardt-biography/
8. “Bill Bradley.” Britannica. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bill-Bradley
9. Holly Otterbein. “Sanders camp quietly pushes Khanna presidential bid.” Politico. March 17, 2022. Accessed February 6, 2025 . https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/17/sanders-khanna-presidential-bid-2024-00018017
10. ^[1] “Meet Joe Caiazzo.” 1788 Media – About. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://1788media.com/#about
11. LinkedIn – Joe Caiazzo. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-caiazzo-3973b528/details/experience/
12. “Meet Joe Caiazzo.” The JCN Group. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://thejcngroup.com/