Shields Named RNC Chief of Staff

Mike Shields has been named chief of staff to the Republican National Committee and will play a key role in helping the party rebound from the 2012 election cycle.

Shields, a former Newt Gingrich aide and current political director of the National Republican Congressional Committee, will replace Jeff Larson, who will remain a senior adviser. Larson was named to the post by RNC Chairman Reince Priebus shortly after his election in 2011.

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Shields, who reportedly was among those under consideration for executive director at the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said a key goal will be improving the party’s digital outreach efforts.

“To position ourselves for 2016, we must leapfrog the Democrats’ digital and data capabilities,” he said in a statement. “It’s absolutely essential for our party to be the leaders in campaign technology.”

A Louisiana native, Shields was chief of staff to Washington Rep. Dave Reichert before joining the NRCC. He also served as communications director for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and was a staffer in Gingrich’s private consulting firm after he left Congress.