In The News.

New public affairs firm – Published 1/5/25

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Braden Dreiling, former chief of staff to departing Congressman Jake LaTurner, is teaming up with Topeka lobbyist Mark Dugan to form a new public affairs firm.

Dreiling and Dugan have formed a firm called For the Cause, which will specialize in strategic advocacy and marketing.

Dreiling said the firm is more focused on public policy work than it will be on any kind of political consulting.

“We are not going to be doing much political work, campaign work in Kansas specifically,” Dreiling said in an interview.

“The Kansas work is going to be public affairs and public policy,” he said.

The firm bills itself as a “full-service public affairs and marketing firm” that will focus on “strategic advocacy” and “tailored solutions” for a targeted audience.

Dreiling said that while a lot of the firm’s work will be focused on Kansas, it will be engaged elsewhere in the country.

Dreiling is not new to Kansas politics or the Kansas statehouse.

He ran LaTurner’s successful campaign for Congress in 2019 and 2020 before joining his staff in Washington, D.C., in 2021.

Dreiling previously worked as the public relations director for LaTurner when he was the state treasurer before running for Congress.

He also was the Republican caucus liaison for former Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce from 2013 to 2016.

Dreiling also founded Invictus Strategies, a digital marketing agency that helped promote brands in Kansas.

He also was the digital marketing director for Aldersgate Village, a retirement community in Topeka.

He earned a master’s in business administration and a bachelor’s in political science and government from Fort Hays State.

 

Dugan is a statehouse veteran in Topeka who actively lobbies the Legislature. He is currently president of the Dugan Consulting Group. Dugan remain in that position.

He previously served as chief of staff to Jeff Colyer when he was lieutenant governor and assistant secretary of policy and external affairs for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in former Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration.

He was also a member of Brownback’s transition team, contributing as part of the governor’s senior staff and leading the state’s effort to move to the managed care Medicaid program known as KanCare.

In 2014, Dugan ran Brownback’s successful reelection campaign for governor.

Before joining the Brownback administration, Dugan worked as a field representative for former Republican Congressman Todd Tiahrt.

He also worked as a political director for Tiahrt in his unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Senate.

He earned a master’s in business administration and a bachelor’s in political science and government from Wichita State.

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OUR TEAM

Mark Dugan is a Partner at For the Cause, President of Dugan Consulting—a lobbying firm that operates in Kansas and Nebraska—and a Partner at Strategic Advisors, a multi-state business development and public affairs firm.

A Wichita native, Mark Dugan serves as the general consultant for two Kansas Congressmen: Representative Jake LaTurner and Representative Tracey Mann. He has played a crucial role in guiding them through challenging primary and general election victories in both 2020 and 2022.

In 2014, Dugan took on the role of Campaign Manager for Governor Sam Brownback’s successful re-election campaign. Before this, he held dual positions as Chief of Staff to Lieutenant Governor Jeff Colyer and Assistant Secretary of Policy and External Affairs for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Dugan was also a member of Governor Brownback’s transition team, contributing as part of the Governor’s senior staff and leading the effort for the successful Medicaid reform initiative known as KanCare.

Before his tenure with the State of Kansas, Dugan collaborated with policymakers at the federal level, holding various policy and political roles for former Congressman Todd Tiahrt.

Dugan obtained his Master of Public Administration degree from the Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs at Wichita State University in 2009. Additionally, he earned NAIA All-American honors in wrestling while attending Newman University in 2005.

Mark sits on the board of directors for the Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City.

Mark is married to Karissa and takes great pride in being the father of seven children: Ava, Grace, Gregory, Joyce, Lucas, Aly, and Blaine.

Braden Dreiling is a Partner at For The Cause.



Hailing from Hays, America, Dreiling most recently held the position of Chief of Staff for Congressman Jake LaTurner,  which sounds fancy, but really just means he was the guy with the coffee and the connections.

From 2019 to 2020, he acted as Campaign Manager for LaTurner's successful congressional campaign. Before that, he lent his public relations prowess to the Kansas State Treasurer, ensuring financial messages were delivered not with a yawn, but perhaps a smirk from 2017 to 2019.  He also held the role of Caucus Liaison to the Kansas Senate Majority Leader from 2013 to 2016.

In addition to his governmental service, Braden founded Invictus Strategies, a digital marketing agency that helps elevate brands in the Sunflower State. He has also been the digital wizard for Aldersgate Village in Topeka—because who doesn’t want their retirement home to be trending on social media?

He earned his Master of Business Administration from Fort Hays State University in 2017 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government from FHSU in 2013.

When Braden isn’t in the office, he’s either cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs or enjoying some quality time reading and playing the drums.

Braden shares the spotlight at home with his lovely wife, Ashley, and his two daughters, Eleanor and Sophie, proving that he’s also a family man who knows that "Dad" is the title that truly matters.