Projo Politics Blog

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign today announced its top Rhode Island campaign staff as the March 4 primary battle with fellow Sen. Barack Obama takes on greater importance in the Ocean State.

* Communications director is Christine Heenan, founder and president of Clarendon Group where she leads strategic communications and planning practices. She was a senior policy analyst on the White House Domestic Policy Council during President Bill Clinton's administration, a speechwriter to President Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, Tipper Gore, and Connecticut U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd. She was Brown University community and government relations director.

* State director is Roger Lau, a New Englander who was state director in Clinton's win in the Feb. 5 Massachusetts primary and who helped in New Hampshire and Maine. Before joining the campaign, Lau managed Rep. Niki Tsongas’ victorious special election bid to the House of Representatives. Lau worked on the 2004 presidential campaign for Democratic candidate Sen. John Kerry and Democratic National Convention staff. After the campaign, he served as Kerry’s Massachusetts’ press secretary.

* Political director Gina Ormand, who joined the Clinton campaign in October as a regional political director, overseeing and advising the campaign in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Massachusetts -- states Clinton won.

* Deputy communications director is Jennifer Bramley, founder and co-owner of Vision Strategies, who has spent more than 14 years working in the "communications field for both public and private entities,l" the campaign said. Bramley served as press secretary, communications director and speechwriter for former Congressman Bob Weygand and former Rhode Island General Treasurer Paul Tavares.

“I am thrilled such an experienced, dedicated group of individuals will be leading my campaign’s operation in Rhode Island,” Clinton said in the statement. “I’m looking forward to running an aggressive grassroots campaign from Woonsocket to Providence, Warwick to Newport. I am confident this team will deliver victory on March 4.”

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

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