Hillary Clinton’s nascent campaign wanted to make it clear when she announced on Sunday that her focus was going to be on the four early nominating states: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.
And now the campaign is hiring more staff for the latter two.
Stephanie Formas has been hired as the communications director for Clinton’s South Carolina operation, according to campaign aides. Formas, a Texas native, currently works as deputy chief of staff for Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, a New York congressman who used to work for President Bill Clinton.
Formas will be joining a small team of already announced Democratic operatives. Campaign aides would not say who would be running the field operation in South Carolina, but did announce in March that Clay Middleton, a Democratic operative with ties to the state, would lead Clinton’s Palmetto State operation.
In Nevada, Clinton’s team has tapped Tim Hogan to be run statewide communications, according to Clinton’s aides. Hogan has worked in Nevada for several years. Most recently he was spokesman for Rep. Steven Horsford, who lost his bid for reelection in 2014.
Hogan joins two Obama 2012 alums — Emmy Ruiz and Jorge Neri — who will lead Clinton’s Nevada operation as state director and organizing director.
Ruiz most recently worked as political director of Annie’s List, a Democratic group that looks to recruit women to run in Texas. And Neri left the White House earlier this month, where he worked in the Office of Public Engagement.
Ruiz and Neri’s hiring was first reported by Buzzfeed.
Clinton is currently on a two-day swing through Iowa, her first trip as a presidential candidate. Before she announced, Clinton sources told CNN that her first two trips would be Iowa and New Hampshire. Campaign aides would not detail when Clinton would travel to Nevada or South Carolina, but reiterated that the four early states will be the campaign’s focus.