Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md.) announced Tuesday afternoon that Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) will serve as his vice chairman in charge of candidate services during the 2010 campaign cycle.

In that post, Braley will be charged with handling much of the committee’s attempts to play offense in what is expected to be a cycle in which House Democrats will largely be playing defense. His tasks will include candidate recruitment and training.

Braley is the second of three vice chairmen to be named by Van Hollen. Last month, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.) was tapped to manage incumbent retention for House Democrats in 2010.

Last cycle, Braley served as a co-chairman for the DCCC’s “Red to Blue” fundraising and infrastructure program. Braley was elected in 2006 after he won a Democratic-leaning open seat that had been held by a Republican for 16 years. In that campaign he was aided by the Red to Blue program.

“As a former chair and former member of the Red to Blue program, Bruce Braley knows first hand what it takes to be a successful candidate; his battle tested leadership will be a real asset to our candidates facing tough elections,” Van Hollen said in a DCCC news release.

“I’m looking forward to continuing my work at the DCCC in this new leadership role,” Braley said. “It’s critical for us to continue assisting our candidates with the money, messaging and mobilization they will need to get elected in the 2010 election cycle.”