After months of using the Texas Democratic Party and staffers from the Lone Star Project as a makeshift campaign staff, Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor Leticia Van De Putte has hired a campaign manager.
Van De Putte said the decision to run came late for her campaign and that made it difficult to quickly hire a campaign staff. This week she hired veteran Democratic National Committee researcher Scott Remley as her campaign manager.
Remley is from outside of Texas and has been involved in national politics for the last 15 years. He said he’s not worried about anyone taking issue with the fact that he’s worked in Washington, D.C.
"If any campaigns want to expend resources talking about me instead of talking their candidate or my candidate I’m fine with that," Remley said. "Second, Texas is a unique state, and even in my five weeks here I’ve learned that in many ways, so I’m under no illusions that I have a lot to learn about Texas."
Professor Jim Henson with the University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Politics Project said hiring from outside of Texas has become the new standard.
"Campaigns are a pretty national business now, particularly in statewide races. You know there’s a lot of people with business interests in this and there’s a a lot of people in the profession," Henson said.
While Van De Putte hand-selected Remley, the group Annie’s List, a self-described group concerned with electing Democratic women, helped connect the two. Van De Putte either faces state Sen. Dan Patrick of Houston or incumbent Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in the November election.
