Our Team

Jimmy Sapp brings extensive federal government experience to Ballard Partners, having most recently served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Legislative Affairs. In that role, Jimmy provided strategic leadership on legislative matters affecting the Department of War and worked closely with congressional stakeholders and senior Department leadership.

From March 2026 through July 2026, Jimmy served as Acting Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of War, where he managed the daily operations of the Deputy Secretary’s office and oversaw strategic initiatives across the Department.

During his tenure at the Department, Jimmy led the team that implemented the Department’s congressional engagement strategy, overseeing more than 3,700 congressional engagements and helping secure an unprecedented pace of Senate confirmations, with more than 50 Presidentially Appointed, Senate-confirmed civilian officials confirmed within the administration’s first year. He was instrumental in securing more than $150 billion for the Department of War in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and led the legislative effort to codify the Department of War’s name change into Title 10 of the U.S. Code, passing out of both the Senate and House Armed Services Committees. Jimmy also chaired the Department’s Executive Resources Board, overseeing merit-based Senior Executive Service hiring in coordination with the Office of Personnel Management.

Prior to his service at the Department of War, Jimmy was a Senior Professional Staff Member on the House Judiciary Committee. Previously he served as a senior official at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, and in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, where he managed national security and international affairs appointments. Earlier in his career, Jimmy held roles at the Pentagon in the White House Liaison Office and Office of Public Affairs and worked on numerous state and national political campaigns.

Jimmy is a graduate of Troy University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences with a minor in Psychology.

At Ballard Partners, Jimmy leverages his firsthand experience navigating the federal government, Congress, and senior executive leadership to advise clients on government relations, legislative affairs, and strategic engagement in Washington.