Americans for Rick Perry Announces Addition to National and Iowa Team

SAN DIEGO, July 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans for Rick Perry (AFPR) announced today that it has retained Craig Schoenfeld as executive director of its Iowa organization, the same position he recently held for the Presidential campaign of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

Schoenfeld, an attorney from West Des Moines, has been active in the Iowa political scene, working with candidates from the "courthouse to the White House."  Schoenfeld served on President Bush's 2000 Iowa Caucus and general election teams, managing the President's general election campaign in the State of Iowa as Executive Director of Iowa Victory 2000.  He has also managed or otherwise been engaged with campaigns for United States Senate, Governor, Attorney General, state legislature and assorted local offices.

"We are thrilled to have a professional with as much experience in Iowa as Craig has," said Bob Schuman, AFRP Senior Consultant.  "It's always difficult to find good talent.  We were fortunate, not just to get good talent, we got the best operative in the state," Schuman said.

AFPR also announced the hiring of Jeff LaCourse as National Political Director.  LaCourse is a seasoned political professional with over 25 years of experience in Republican politics.  Most recently, Jeff served as the Northeast Regional Political Director for the Republican National Committee during the 2010 election cycle.  Throughout the entire eight state region, one of his key responsibilities was to direct the party's voter identification and turnout program.  The RNC's New Jersey effort, for example, helped Chris Christie achieve the largest statewide Republican percentage since Governor Tom Kean, Sr.'s, re-election in 1985.  The Massachusetts program helped elect this state's first Republican U.S. Senator (Scott Brown) since 1972.  

Prior to his service with the RNC, Jeff served as Regional Political Director for both the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee.  In the 2006 U.S. Senate Rhode Island primary, LaCourse designed and implemented the Voter ID and GOTV program that led to the largest Republican primary turnout in Rhode Island's history, topping the previous record.

"Jeff knows what it takes to get people involved and motivated on a large scale," Schuman said.  "His experience on the grassroots level is unsurpassed, we are fortunate to have him on the team at a senior level."

SOURCE Americans for Rick Perry