Lobbyist records were obtained by visiting the lobbying registration websites for all 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC). These public records were searched for tobacco companies, tobacco industry trade associations, and tobacco retailers currently employing lobbyists or lobbying firms. To view each states lobbying disclosure ranking please visit Open Secrets here.

Keywords searched included Altria, Philip Morris, RAI, Reynolds American, RJR, Juul, Swisher, SI, Swedish, ITG, Vector, Liggett, Xcaliber, Diversified, Cheyenne, cigar, tobacco, smoke, smoking, vape, vaping, vapor, and others suggested by state or local partners to identify tobacco industry activity in their respective states.

For each lobbyist principal identified, the names of all lobbyists/lobbying firms registered to represent them were tabulated. Because lobbyists/lobbying firms sometimes register to represent more than one tobacco company, trade association or retailer, total registrations were also tabulated. Online links to the lobbying registration sites for each state were cited.

For states that require or allow lobbying firms to register instead of individual lobbyists, it is often unclear from online records how many lobbyists within such firms perform work on behalf of the tobacco industry. Because most lobbying firms employ multiple lobbyists, the extent of tobacco industry lobbying in such states may be greater than these data suggest. For example, there may only be one firm registered to lobby a state legislature on behalf of a particular tobacco company but that firm might have any number of individual lobbyists actively representing that client.