The Jon Huntsman campaign is announcing a new leadership team in Massachusetts, The Daily Caller has learned.
The news comes the same week rival Mitt Romney announced a slew of endorsements from Huntsman’s home state of Utah.
In Massachusetts, former State Party Chairman Jim Rappaport will serve as Massachusetts Chairman and Northeast Regional Co-Chair. Peter Monaco and Peter Malone have signed on to be Massachusetts Finance Co-Chairs; Rice Powell will also serve in the Northeast Regional Finance team.
Malone, in particular, has experience in campaign fundraising, after pulling in over $250,000 for John McCain in 2008. (Chaffetz joins Utahans for Romney, bypasses former boss Huntsman)
Rappaport, who was the state’s Republican Senate nominee in 1990 and a member of the Republican National Committee from 1992 to 1997, has never been a fan of his former Governor. In 2008, he endorsed Rudy Giuliani over Romney, saying that the Governor’s word “is no good.”
“Mitt Romney would say one thing in a meeting and literally go out of the meeting to the press and tell the opposite story,” Rappaport told reporters in 2008. “There was no desire in the legislature to be accommodating to him because they couldn’t trust him.” (Huntsman’s website: Double the donation with one for your spouse)
“Jon Huntsman’s record of tax cuts, conservative and effective health care reform, and job creation is unparalleled in the Republican Primary field,” Rappaport said in a statement announcing the news. “Anyone can talk about how they would implement conservative, pro-growth policies, Jon Huntsman has actually done it. He’s the kind of leader our country needs if we are going to turn our economy and country around.”
On Wednesday, the Romney campaign announced a long list of Utah endorsements, underscoring he rivalry between the former Massachusetts governor and Huntsman. The list included notable names like Rep. Jason Chaffetz and Sen. Orrin Hatch.
One person listed, however, later said his name was included by mistake. Rep. Paul Ray, who was on the list of Utah endorsements later issued a statement saying he is, in fact, endorsing Huntsman.
“I firmly believe that Jon Huntsman is the candidate best prepared to defeat President Obama and turn our country around,” Ray said.