State Speaker Thom Tillis, the Republican Senate nominee in North Carolina, has named Daniel Keylin as his communications director.

Keylin comes to Tillis’ campaign after a stint as communications director at the North Carolina Republican Party. Prior to that, Keylin served as communications director for freshman Republican Sen. Deb Fischer’s 2012 campaign in Nebraska.

The North Carolina Senate race is one of the marquee contests of the cycle, as Republicans seek to oust vulnerable Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan. Outside groups from both sides of the aisle are spending heavily on the race.

“We are excited to add Daniel as the newest member of Team Tillis. His campaign background and his work as an effective communicator in North Carolina in recent years make him well-suited for this role,” Tillis campaign manager Jordan Shaw said in a statement. “We are confident that he will be an important asset as we move toward November.”

Sasse Gets Communications Director

James Wegmann has joined Midland University President Ben Sasse’s Senate campaign as communications director.

Wegmann was previously communications director for Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind. He joined the Sasse campaign just a few weeks after Sasse won a three-way primary in Nebraska for the state’s open Senate seat. Sasse, a former official in President George W. Bush’s administration, now faces a clear path to victory in the Cornhusker State in November.

“We need to grow the conservative movement by making better arguments and communicating the ideas that have always made us an exceptional nation. James will be a tremendous asset in this work,” Sasse said in a release.

Political Reporter Joins Mercury

Darryl Isherwood will join Mercury Public Affairs as a vice president of the bipartisan public strategy firm.

Isherwood joins Mercury after a 13-year career in journalism. He got his start at the Times of Trenton covering local and state politics, and moved around to a number of other news outlets, including Fox Business News. He most recently worked at the Newark Star-Ledger, New Jersey’s largest newspaper, where he was a political reporter.

“During his extensive career in the news media, Darryl has emerged as one of New Jersey’s most highly regarded and talented journalists,” Mike DuHaime, a partner at Mercury, said in a news release. “Darryl’s unique knowledge of politics, financial services and government is unparalleled, and we are excited to add his wealth of experience to our growing team.”

Former Reagan Aide Joins RSLC Board

The Republican State Leadership Committee announced that Charlie Black will join the group’s board of directors.

Black currently serves as chairman of the Prime Policy Group, a public affairs firm. He previously served as a senior adviser to presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush. In 2008, he served as senior political adviser to Arizona Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign.

“Charlie Black is one of our nation’s top political strategists with an exceptional record and a forward thinking commitment to grow our Party from the ground up — a perfect fit for the mission of the RSLC,” RSLC Chairman Bill McCollum said in a statement.

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