"Growing up in a political household, I appreciate the demands that are placed on a legislator's time," Murray says.

She grew up with a front-row seat to the Rhode Island political system.

Her father, John J. Hogan, held various high-profile positions in state government during Murray’s childhood. He served as the House majority whip, the chairman of the powerful House Finance Committee, and later became the chairman of the state Democratic Party.

It should be no surprise that all five Hogan children now work in the world of politics, albeit from the private sector.

Murray’s big brother John “Jack” Hogan and her little brother Thomas Hogan left Tillinghast, Licht in 1999 and opened their own firm, F/S Capitol Consulting.

Jack served as the managing director of the firm’s Rhode Island office until about a month ago, when he took a job as senior director of state government relations for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco in North Carolina.

Thomas now runs the firm’s Washington office, leaving Murray, 46, as the face of the family firm most days at the State House.

Their youngest sister, Margaret “Peggy” Hogan Sweeney, runs the family law firm, Hogan Law Associates. And their second-to-youngest sister, Janet Hogan Steponaitis, manages the office.

“We have great staff meetings,” Murray says. “We were all influenced by growing up in a political household, but I think it’s more than that. When my brothers opened their firm, an opportunity presented itself for me to join them, and as our firm grew, opportunities presented themselves for my sisters to join as well. It was really unplanned, but it works.”

Murray became a lobbyist in 2003, four years after her two brothers started F/S Capitol Consulting.

Very quickly, they developed a powerful client list, which includes Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Cigar Association of America and Harley-Davidson Motor Co.

Some joke that the firm represents the “sin lobby” because of its client list, which also included gambling-related entities in the past.

Murray shrugged off the characterization.

“These industries are highly regulated and face challenging issues,” she says. “Our business model is designed to handle these complex issues with the highest level of professionalism.”

Murray says she isn’t hindered by being one of the few women in a male-dominated field. She noted there are 22 female members of the General Assembly, including the Senate majority leader and three committee chairs.

Like her peers, Murray is a regular at political fundraisers around the state. She said she tries “to support as many legislators as possible. It is an opportunity for me to talk to legislators about client issues outside of the State House.”

Explaining her regular attendance at fundraisers, she said it’s less about making contributions to lawmakers than having quality face time.

“Growing up in a political household, I appreciate the demands that are placed on a legislator’s time,” she says. “The General Assembly goes on the floor at approximately 4 p.m. each day. Very often, many legislators are arriving from their full-time job and do not have time to meet about issues before going on the floor. Following up with them at a fundraising event allows me the opportunity to continue my efforts on behalf of a client. It is part of the process.”