Rick Scott puts Donald Trump stamp on U.S. Senate campaign arm

Image via AP.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott chairs the Senate campaign arm for the 2022 cycle, and new hires rolled out Tuesday suggest a Donald Trump feel.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee is bringing two veterans of Donald Trump‘s presidential campaigns aboard for key digital roles, as part of what Scott bills as an “aggressive” communications push from the group under his leadership.

Daria Grastara will start as Digital Director at the NRSC. She was the Digital Advertising Director for Trump’s reelection bid. She also held positions with the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and former Gov. Jeb Bush’s 2016 presidential campaign before that.

Grastara will work closely with another veteran of the Trump reelection bid: Deputy Digital Director Mike Hahn, who directed social media for the 2020 campaign.

“He joined the Trump campaign at Trump Tower in New York during the 2016 election cycle. After Trump won that election, Mike joined the communications team for the 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee,” the media release notes.

Worth watching: whether or not NRSC digital content begins to take on a Trumpier tone.

Also announced Tuesday was the hiring of a veteran of Scott’s political sphere to another comms role.

Director of Media Affairs Priscilla Ivasco has worked in Scott’s U.S. Senate office, on his Senate campaign in 2018, and as the Deputy Director of External Affairs for Scott while Governor.

The other two hires come with recent high-profile roles attached also, with each having worked on successful 2020 campaigns.

National Press Secretary T.W. Arrighi served as the Communications Director for Sen. Lindsey Graham‘s reelection campaign, a role that gave him some practice for 2022. Graham won reelection despite the best funded and most aggressive challenge of his political career, and indications are that Republicans may face uphill odds in a number of races next year.

Press Secretary Katharine Cooksey handled a similar role for a 2020 reelection campaign that was in somewhat less doubt, that of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who cruised to victory despite a well-funded opponent.

Scott extolled the hires as part of his strategy to “help win back the Senate.”

“I am committed to building an aggressive Communications and Digital operation that will raise the money we need to compete around the country and get our message out,” Scott vowed.