The National Republican Congressional Committee hired Liesl Hickey to run its incumbent retention program for the 2012 cycle, when the GOP is defending the highest number of seats since 1948.
 
As director of the NRCC’s Patriot Program, Hickey will help Republican Members meet fundraising and organizational goals for their campaigns. Hickey replaces Bob Honold, who left the NRCC to join Revolution Agency.
 
“It is a great honor to bring Liesl on board as we begin to put into place plans that will build on the historic gains Republicans made in November,” NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas) said.  “Liesl has unique political experience and expertise in helping Members win difficult re-election campaigns cycle after cycle. These qualities make her an invaluable asset to the NRCC as we look forward to 2012.”

There are 242 Republicans in the House now after a net gain of 63 seats in the midterm elections. The NRCC Patriot Program was designed to help potentially vulnerable incumbents win re-election.
 
Hickey recently served as an adviser to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and she previously worked as chief of staff to then-Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and finance director for former Sen. Peter Fitzgerald’s (R-Ill.) successful 1998 campaign. Hickey also worked as a senior director at ONE, a grass-roots campaign that works to eradicate poverty and preventable disease.