The magazine for super hacks, Campaigns & Elections, named Rory Steele today on its list of "Rising Stars" (their annual list of 15 Democratic and 15 Republican young gun consultants).

Steele, 33, is a partner at Seattle firm Argo Strategies. At Argo, Steele was the mail consultant for the pro-gay rights effort to defend the state's domestic partnership law in 2009 during the R-71 referendum campaign. The gay rights law was upheld by voters 53.1 to 46.8.

Steele also did all-star organizing work for the Obama campaign in the 2008 Iowa caucuses and headed up Washington State's Democratic coordinated campaign to reelect U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and help the Democrats hold the state house and senate majorities in 2010. (For my money, beating back the GOP in 2010 is Steele's most impressive stat.)

Past winners of C&E's rising star award  include James Carville, Donna Brazile, David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel and George Stephanopoulos.

"We are really proud of him am really lucky he’s part of the team," says Argo founder Jason Bennett.