House Minority Leader John Boehner announced today that he is hiring Barry Jackson, a longtime Republican operative, as the new chief of staff for the leader’s office.
“No one in America is better prepared or better qualified than Barry to pick up the torch in the wake of our tragic and unexpected loss,” Boehner said in a statement.
Boehner’s last chief of staff, Paula Nowakowski, died suddenly earlier this month.
Jackson served as Boehner’s chief of staff in 2000 and 2001 and served as director of the Contract With America in 1994. He has also worked in the George W. Bush White House, starting in 2001 as the director of the Office of Strategic Affairs, and in 2007 becoming the assistant to the president on Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs. He was also Karl Rove’s deputy at the White House from 2002 to 2007.
“By bringing the director of the Contract with America back to the Hill during this important time for the nation, we’re sending a message that Republicans are serious about listening to the people, building a principled and lasting majority, and renewing the drive for smaller, more accountable government,” Boehner said.
Jackson was also the executive director of the House Republican Conference. According to Boehner’s statement, he hired Nowakowski in 1995.
