Amping up his campaign effort after coming a second-place finish in New Hampshire, Ohio Gov. John Kasich has joined forces with one of the most well-connected conservative PR firms in the business.
Craig Shirley and Diana Banister of Shirley & Banister Public Affairs have come on board Kasich’s national outreach effort, his campaign announced.
The firm’s history dates back to President Reagan’s 1984 re-election campaign, and clients have included the National Rifle Association, Citizens United, Tea Party Patriots and the Susan B. Anthony List.
In a 2013 peek inside the Alexandria firm, the Washington Post noted their clients included Newt Gingrich in his 2012 White House run and Ann Coulter — now an ardent Donald Trump supporter — while “moderate GOP-compromise types are not welcome.”
“When we went to expand the communication team we went to Craig and Diana first and we’re glad that they’ve agreed to join the effort,” Scott Milburn, Kasich’s senior communication adviser, said in a statement. “Governor Kasich has provided solid conservative leadership on fiscal, economic, national security and social issues for three decades, and Shirley & Banister are the best in the business in helping cut through the noise and fog so that his record is understood clearly.”
On Thursday, Kasich announced that he would be campaigning in South Carolina through Saturday. On Monday, he’s switching gears to multiple events in Michigan.
That’s in line with the campaign’s plans to look beyond the south to Midwestern states where they think the governor can rack up the needed delegates.
Shirley stressed that he believes Kasich “has many qualities that are similar to Reagan.”
“His tenacity on pro-growth economic policies, his strong national security credentials and his optimistic, positive vision for the future are the reasons he has done so well in Ohio and why his campaign is attracting growing attention,” the PR chief said. “We’re excited to be part of that growing momentum and to help him tell the story of his conservative record and vision for our nation.”
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