Second Perry state chair jumps ship

Rick Santorum -- Prezography 2By Bob Eschliman
Editor

 

Now Republican presidential candidate former Texas Gov. Rick Perry has lost both of his state chairs to competitors. This time, however, there seems to be far less backlash from conservatives as Karen Fesler joins the staff of former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum as National Caucus Coalitions Advisor, coordinating coalitions in caucus states.

Santorum said, “I am excited to welcome Karen Fesler back to our campaign team.  Karen was an important part of our victorious 2012 Iowa Caucus campaign and she spearheaded our efforts to overwhelmingly win the 2012 Missouri Republican Caucus.  I am confident that she will provide our campaign with great insights, advice, and a strong network to build our national campaign infrastructure.”

Fesler has more than three decades of political experience, first as a county coordinator for Governor Kit Bond’s 1980 gubernatorial campaign.  She has been involved in Iowa politics since 1996, and most recently served as chair of the Second Congressional District Executive Committee. The move to the Santorum campaign wasn’t a big surprise.

During the 2012 presidential campaign, she was a member of the Santorum for President Iowa Steering Committee and later served as the campaign’s Missouri State Director. Politico named her one of their top 50 insiders in Iowa.

Fesler said, “Rick Santorum is a principled conservative who is prepared to lead our nation on day-one.  He has always been a champion of hardworking families and he can be trusted to shake up the old boys network.  I am excited to rejoin his team and help be a part of a campaign that will again prove the experts in Washington and New York wrong.”