David Jolly taps Max Goodman to serve as new campaign manager

U.S. Senate candidate David Jolly has tapped Max Goodman to serve as his new campaign manager.

Goodman had served as political director for the Clearwater Republican’s bid to succeed Sen. Marco Rubio for the last eight months.

“Max Goodman, our Political Director for the last eight months, has assumed the additional responsibilities of day-to-day operations as our new Campaign Manager. Max is one of the brightest political minds in the state, a tireless fighter, and exactly the right person to manage this campaign from here to victory in November,” said Jolly via email.

Nick Hansen, who had managed Jolly’s congressional campaign and helped launch the Senate campaign, will transition to a role as a senior adviser.

“Nick has served as my trusted Senior Political Advisor since the day I declared my candidacy for the House and he remains in that role today in our U.S. Senate campaign. He is an invaluable asset.”

Goodman is a former aide to Sarasota U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan and the younger brother of Adam Goodman, the A-list political ad maker who consults to the campaign, along with Sarah Bascom and the Bascom Communications team, Marc Reichelderfer, Pat Bainter, and fundraisers Kris Money, Trey McCarley and Franny Decker.

“I’m fortunate to be working with the best team in the business,” said Jolly.

Jolly, first elected to the U.S. House in a 2015 special election, is the slight frontrunner in a crowded Republican Senate primary. Recent polls have shown him with an advantage over rivals U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, developer Carlos Beruff, and businessman Todd Wilcox for the open seat, though most voters are still undecided.

Jolly has made waves in his Senate campaign by filing the so-called “Stop Act” as a Congressman, which would prevent members of Congress from asking for money from donors while on the job. He said the bill is intended to help representatives “put down the phone and get to work.”

The Senate race – recently called “largely forgotten and hugely influential” by the national press earlier this month – could well decide the balance of power in upper chamber of Congress.

The winner of the GOP primary will face off against the winner of a contentious Democratic primary between U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy and U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson.