Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia announced Monday he has tapped Hayden Rogers to be his new chief of staff. Rogers was a candidate for Congress in 2012 and previously served as chief of staff to former Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C..

Rogers, an affable, garrulous 42-year-old, hewed an independent profile on the campaign trail, running for North Carolina’s 11th District. He appears to be a good fit for Manchin, one of the Democratic senators most comfortable bucking his party.

“I’m thrilled by the opportunity,” Rogers said in short interview with CQ Roll Call. He called Manchin “pragmatic, practical in his thinking” and someone who is good at “building consensus to get things done.”

Manchin praised Rogers in a statement.

“Hayden brings to our office a unique range of talents and a commonsense, solutions-driven approach that I truly admire,” he said. “He embodies the values important to West Virginians and has the knowledge, experience and expertise to lead our team effectively.”

Rogers, a graduate of Princeton University, officially started his new position last week.