Gardner’s chief of staff tapped for Senate GOP campaign director

Sen. Cory Gardner’s (R-Colo.) chief of staff is poised to become the new executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), a spokesman for the senator confirmed.

{mosads}Chris Hansen will be tasked with helping to expand the Senate majority as Republicans play offense with a favorable map in 2018. Republicans currently hold 51 seats and are expected to gain one more in next month’s Louisiana Senate runoff. Roll Call first reported the news. 

Gardner was tapped NRSC chairman on Wednesday, replacing Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). In 2014, the Colorado Republican defeated then-Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) in one of the top races of the cycle.

Hansen managed Gardner’s 2014 Senate campaign and has previously worked on his House campaign. He also helped on Rep. Mike Coffman’s (R-Colo.) 2012 reelection race.

Fresh off a tough cycle where they defended 24 seats and lost only 2 seats, Republicans have a much more favorable map. Democrats are defending 25 seats in 2018 and 10 of those are states carried by President-elect Donald Trump last week. Republicans will be on defense in Nevada following Hillary Clinton’s victory and Democrats holding onto Sen. Harry Reid’s seat. 

Republicans will be hoping to pick up enough seats in 2018 for a filibuster-proof majority, or holding 60 seats in the upper chamber.