New McCarthy Aide Wins Praise from Conservatives

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National Review:

Elaina Plott

January 5, 2016

 

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is kicking off the new year by tapping Will Dunham, executive director of the Republican Study Committee, as his new policy director, in another sign that relations between the conference’s establishment and conservative wings are thawing.

 

Dunham’s hire, finalized last week, is the latest in McCarthy’s string of efforts to round out his policy staff with seasoned voices from the conference’s right flank. For the past two years, Dunham, 30, has coordinated legislative efforts for the RSC — a bedrock of conservative strategy in the House — helping draft a comprehensive alternative to Obamacare and working closely with Barrett Karr, McCarthy’s deputy chief of staff for policy.

 

Karr’s rapport with Dunham was a key factor behind the hire, says McCarthy’s communications director, Mike Long. “[Karr] was looking for a manager who could be both innovative but also a good nuts-and-bolts policy person. She felt like he was the type of person Kevin would want to bring in.”

 

Dunham takes on a post that has sat vacant in McCarthy’s office since March of last year. His hire could help combat a perception that McCarthy’s office has long been devoid of policy wonks, which was in some ways compounded by the fallout of his decision to drop out of the speaker’s race. Dunham’s presence will also lighten the burden on Karr, who Long notes has had to take on additional responsibilities since the departure of top McCarthy aide John Stipicevic for K Street in December.

 

Dunham’s leadership in the RSC, and his past time as a staffer at the Heritage Foundation, could build more goodwill among the conference’s most conservative members, whose tensions with leadership have gradually ebbed since Paul Ryan became speaker in October.

 

(Snip)

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