West Virginia Senate candidate John Raese has hired veteran Republican strategist Jim Dornan to serve as his campaign manager for what will be a condensed special election to serve out the unexpired term left by the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D).

Over a two-decade political career, Dornan has worked on House campaigns in Maryland, New York, Washington, Oklahoma, Hawaii and several other states. He served as a Congressional chief of staff in two different offices and has also worked at the National Republican Congressional Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He most recently worked as a vice president for Artemis Strategies in Washington D.C.

“Jim brings a wealth of experience to my campaign for U.S. Senate,” Raese, a wealthy businessman, said in a release. “With just 19 days until the Republican primary and less than three months to the general election, I needed someone who can hit the ground running. Jim is that person.”

Raese is one of 10 candidates seeking the GOP nomination in the special election. The primary will take place Aug. 28.

This is Raese’s third Senate bid. He first ran in 1984, when he lost an open-seat race by 4 points to then-Gov. Jay Rockefeller (D).

Raese challenged Byrd in 2006, but he didn’t come close to beating the Senator. Raese’s deep pockets and previous campaign experience make him the early favorite for his party’s nomination, but any Republican will be a long shot in the November special election against popular Gov. Joe Manchin (D), who will be his party’s nominee.