Former Rep. Ben Quayle joins lobby firm; won’t run in 2014

Ex-Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.) is making his return to Washington at the K Street firm Clark Hill, the firm is set to announce this week, and will not run for Congress in 2014.

Quayle, who lost the Republican primary to Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) last year, will split his time between Phoenix and Washington as the firm’s senior director of government and public affairs.

He was initially considered to be a possible contender against freshman Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), but he told the Arizona Republic that he has no plans to run for his old seat in 2014.

“I’m not ruling out running, but I’m not going to be running in the near future,” Quayle said.

At Clark Hill, Quayle joins Republican operative Charlie Spies, a former Mitt Romney aide who helped raise money for Restore Our Future, the super-PAC that backed Romney during the 2012 presidential elections. Under Spies’ watch, the outside group raised more than $150 million during the two-year cycle.

Spies said the firm is “thrilled” to have Quayle coming on board.

“As a former businessman, he knows how politics and the regulatory process impact businesses of all sizes and will an invaluable asset to our clients,” Spies told The Hill in an email.

Clark Hill, which earned less than $800,000 in lobbying revenues last year, represents clients including the mayor of Detroit, a copper producer based in Arizona and casino operator Wynn Resorts.

Under ethics laws, Quayle will not be eligible to directly lobbying any members of Congress or their staffs for one year.

The outspoken son of Vice President Dan Quayle was elected in 2010, marking one in a landslide of victories that gave Republicans power over the House. After redistricting, Quayle was thrust into a member vs. member primary battle against Schweikert that ended with him losing his seat.

— Alexandra Jaffe contributed.