One of Donald Trump’s former top aides joins Jake Corman’s campaign for PA governor
A woman who was one of former President Donald Trump’s most influential adviser joined Jake Corman’s campaign for Pennsylvania governor, the highest-ranking member of the state Senate said Friday.
Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s campaign manager during the stretch run of the 2016 race, joined Corman’s campaign as a pollster and special adviser. Conway was the first woman to successfully lead a presidential campaign, then became a senior counselor to the former president.
“Kellyanne Conway is a proven winner who’s ready to help Republicans take back the governor’s office here in Pennsylvania,” Corman said in a statement. “Her experience in communications and polling is second-to-none. Kellyanne knows what it takes to win tough campaigns, and we’re excited to have her on our team.”
Conway was one of Trump’s strongest defenders throughout his presidency. She coined the phrase “alternative facts” in January 2016 when speaking about former press secretary Sean Spicer exaggerating the size of the crowd at Trump’s inauguration.
A report released by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel in November found that she was among those in violation of the Hatch Act for allegedly campaigning for the former president while working at the White House.
Corman is part of a large group of Republicans seeking the gubernatorial nomination in the May 17 primary. More than a dozen are part of the GOP’s primary field. It’s his first run for statewide office.
Corman, 57, said he won’t seek another term as a state lawmaker to focus on his campaign. He is the Senate’s president pro tempore. Corman was first elected to the state Senate in 1998. His father was elected to the seat before him, serving from 1977 to 1998.
“Pennsylvania needs a strong, principled leader who will end years of destructive progressive politics in the governor’s office,” Conway said in a statement. “Jake Corman is that leader.”
Second-term state Attorney General Josh Shapiro is the presumed Democratic nominee to run for governor.
Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat first elected in 2014, is constitutionally term limited and cannot serve a third term in office.
This story was originally published January 7, 2022 at 11:37 AM.