Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has hired a presidential campaign manager — in all but name — to direct his expected 2016 quest for the White House.
But, for the time being, Chip Englander, 33, will hold the title of senior adviser,
The Washington Post reported.
Englander ran Republican Bruce Rauner's winning gubernatorial campaign in President Barack Obama's home state of Illinois. He managed a $70 million budget while avoiding social issues that might have alienated Democratic voters, according to the Post.
With the addition of Englander, Paul continues to consolidate his campaign team.
His chief political
adviser Doug Stafford said, "Chip Englander has proved he is among the top managers in the business, as evidenced by the historic Rauner race and his 15 years of grassroots experience," the Post reported.
"America has intractable problems and it's going to take a transformational leader to fix them," Englander said. "Senator Paul is going to be the bold, transformational figure in this race."
Paul's non-interventionist foreign policy combined with his anti-tax, anti-big government domestic stance can create a non-conventional winning coalition, Englander told the Post.
"Some politicians run campaigns from television studios. That's not the way I do things, and that's not the way you win," Englander told the Post.
Paul's aides said that the senator was best positioned to pull together the party's conservative base and libertarians, while also connecting to the establishment wing, the Post reported.
Another indication Paul is setting the stage for a presidential race is the scheduled release in September of his book, "Taking a Stand: Moving Beyond Partisan Politics to Unite America," the Post reported.
Paul's team now includes Steve Grubbs in Iowa and John Yob in Michigan, along with political consultant Chris LaCivita.
Also on board are strategist Michael Biundo, formerly with Rick Santorum's 2012 campaign; digital expert Vincent Harris, who has worked for Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas; online fundraiser Mike Rothfeld; and media director Rex Elsass, the Post reported.
Paul will skip the conclave of Republican lawmakers in Hershey, Pennsylvania, to spend Wednesday in New Hampshire.
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