# Holly DeShields | Best in Government Affairs TX 2026 > Holly DeShields of McGuireWoods Consulting LLC is a 2026 Best in Government Affairs Texas honoree, recognized as Top Hired Gun Lobbyists of the Year. Canonical: https://www.uslege.ai/best-in-government-affairs/texas/2026/holly-deshields --- [Best in Government Affairs](/best-in-government-affairs)› [Texas](/best-in-government-affairs/texas)› [2026](/best-in-government-affairs/texas#honorees)› [Top Hired Gun Lobbyists of the Year](/best-in-government-affairs/texas/best-lobbyists)› **Holly DeShields** USLege · Best in Government Affairs · Texas Texas · 2026 Honoree ![Holly DeShields, Senior Vice President & Director, Texas Government Relations at McGuireWoods Consulting LLC. Winner, Top Hired Gun Lobbyists of the Year, 2026 Best in Government Affairs Texas](/assets/awards/tx-2026/holly-deshields.jpg) Category [Top Hired Gun Lobbyists of the Year](/best-in-government-affairs/texas/best-lobbyists) Organization [McGuireWoods Consulting LLC](/best-in-government-affairs/texas/firms#mcguirewoods-consulting) Title Senior Vice President & Director, Texas Government Relations [View LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-deshields-6365297/) [Visit McGuireWoods Consulting LLC](https://www.mcguirewoodsconsulting.com/) [01 · Top Hired Gun Lobbyists of the Year](/best-in-government-affairs/texas/best-lobbyists) # Holly DeShields **Senior Vice President & Director, Texas Government Relations**, McGuireWoods Consulting LLC Holly DeShields, Senior Vice President & Director, Texas Government Relations at McGuireWoods Consulting LLC, is a 2026 Best in Government Affairs Texas honoree in the Top Hired Gun Lobbyists of the Year category. The awards are peer-nominated. Holly Deshields is one of Texas’s most respected and influential advocates. A leader known for turning complex challenges into collaborative, results-driven solutions. As Senior Vice President and Director of the Texas Government Relations team at McGuireWoods Consulting, she leads one of the state’s top-performing lobbying practices, representing clients across industries including education, health care, energy, economic development, and manufacturing. > “Holly brings clarity and collaboration to everything she does,” one nominator shared. “She’s a connector. Someone who builds relationships, bridges divides, and delivers meaningful results.” Under her leadership, McGuireWoods Consulting’s Texas team has passed landmark legislation improving public infrastructure, expanding education access, protecting businesses, and growing Texas’s entertainment and technology industries. Before joining McGuireWoods in 2012, Holly served more than a decade as Chief of Staff to Senator Mike Jackson, where she built a deep understanding of the legislative process and forged lasting relationships across both chambers. Her leadership style, equal parts strategy, empathy, and effectiveness, continues to shape the next generation of Texas advocates. As one of this year’s Top Hired Gun Lobbyists of the Year, Holly DeShields exemplifies the collaboration, influence, and integrity that define Texas’s most accomplished professionals in public affairs. Share this honor [Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uslege.ai%2Fbest-in-government-affairs%2Ftexas%2F2026%2Fholly-deshields) [Share on X](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uslege.ai%2Fbest-in-government-affairs%2Ftexas%2F2026%2Fholly-deshields&text=Holly%20DeShields%3A%20Top%20Hired%20Gun%20Lobbyists%20of%20the%20Year%2C%202026%20Best%20in%20Government%20Affairs%20Texas) Same category ## More _Top Hired Gun Lobbyists of the Year_ honorees. [![](/assets/awards/tx-2026/thumbs/will-mcadams.jpg) **Will McAdams**Mike Toomey & Associates](/best-in-government-affairs/texas/2026/will-mcadams)[![](/assets/awards/tx-2026/thumbs/ryan-brannan.jpg) **Ryan Brannan**The Brannan Firm ](/best-in-government-affairs/texas/2026/ryan-brannan)[![](/assets/awards/tx-2026/thumbs/mark-vane.jpg) **Mark Vane**Husch Blackwell Strategies ](/best-in-government-affairs/texas/2026/mark-vane)[![](/assets/awards/tx-2026/thumbs/luis-saenz.jpg) **Luis Saenz**TX Public Affairs ](/best-in-government-affairs/texas/2026/luis-saenz)[![](/assets/awards/tx-2026/thumbs/larry-gonzales.jpg) **Larry Gonzales**Desk 138 ](/best-in-government-affairs/texas/2026/larry-gonzales)[![](/assets/awards/tx-2026/thumbs/kathy-grant.jpg) **Kathy Grant**Kathy Grant Group ](/best-in-government-affairs/texas/2026/kathy-grant)[![](/assets/awards/tx-2026/thumbs/john-colyandro.jpg) **John Colyandro**Colyandro Public Affairs ](/best-in-government-affairs/texas/2026/john-colyandro)[![](/assets/awards/tx-2026/thumbs/jay-propes.jpg) **Jay Propes**Mercury Public Affairs ](/best-in-government-affairs/texas/2026/jay-propes)[![](/assets/awards/tx-2026/thumbs/denise-rose.jpg) **Denise Rose**Jackson Walker ](/best-in-government-affairs/texas/2026/denise-rose)[![](/assets/awards/tx-2026/thumbs/craig-casselberry.jpg) **Craig Casselberry**Quorum Public Affairs, Inc. ](/best-in-government-affairs/texas/2026/craig-casselberry)[![](/assets/awards/tx-2026/thumbs/carrie-simmons.jpg) **Carrie Simmons**Texas Lobby Partners](/best-in-government-affairs/texas/2026/carrie-simmons) [All Texas honorees](/best-in-government-affairs/texas#honorees) [Top Hired Gun Lobbyists of the Year](/best-in-government-affairs/texas/best-lobbyists) [Honorees by firm](/best-in-government-affairs/texas/firms) The platform behind the awards ## Track the Texas Legislature the way _honorees do_. USLege covers every Texas bill, hearing, and floor debate with live video, transcripts, and cited AI answers. See why the people on this page use it. [Explore USLege Texas](/states/texas) [Built for lobbyists](/for/lobbyists)