?????Where are the Montanans on his staff?????
Tester formalizes key staff before taking office
By The Associated Press
HELENA, Mont. -- U.S. Sen.-elect Jon Tester formalized his top staff Wednesday, giving key jobs to the campaign staffers who helped him beat Republican Conrad Burns.
Tester, who takes office next month, said Stephanie Schriock will be his chief of staff. Schriock managed Tester's campaign, and previously was senior adviser for Gov. Howard Dean's Presidential campaign in Vermont and has worked for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Bill Lombardi, political director on the campaign, was named state director. Lombardi has previously been Democratic U.S. Sen. Max Baucus' communications director and was secretary of the Montana Senate when Tester was that body's president.
Tester's legislative director will be Bridget Walsh, his office said. Walsh, a lawyer, has spent the last six years working for Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida. Campaign spokesman Matt McKenna was named Tester's communications director.
Aaron Murphy, also on the campaign's communications staff, was named press secretary.
"We're putting together a staff that will be very responsive to Montana's needs," Tester said in a statement. "These folks are smart, hardworking public servants."
Tester said he will name the rest of the staff in the coming days, most before he takes office Jan. 4.
Tester beat Burns, a three-term incumbent, in an expensive and bitter race that came down to just a few thousand votes in the November election.
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Published on Wednesday, December 27, 2006.
Last modified on 12/27/2006 at 3:12 pm
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