Republican Pedro Celis needs a spark for his congressional campaign and hopes it will come from two men who helped a Tea Party-backed candidate unseat U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.
Zachary Werrell and Gray Delany were the only paid staffers on the campaign team of Republican David Brat, who defeated Cantor in Virginia’s June primary. It was one of the biggest political upsets in congressional history.
The Republican strategists aim to generate a similar level of electricity for Celis, who faces long odds in his race against incumbent Democratic Rep. Suzan DelBene in the 1st Congressional District.
Werrell, who managed Brat’s campaign, will have the same role full-time for Celis. Delany is the new communications manager.
How this political union came about — did Celis recruit them, did Republican officials insist Celis accept them, or something else? — is open to speculation.
“I can’t comment on the circumstances,” Delany said Tuesday.
They signed on after Celis’ underwhelming performance in the Aug. 5 primary. The district has a constituency stretching from the Canadian border to suburbs in east King County. It takes in towns and farms east of I-5 in Snohomish County.
One of their first challenges — and maybe one of the reasons Werrell and Delany are on board — is to shore up Celis’ credibility among conservative Republicans who view Celis as too moderate and a tool of the party establishment.
Celis made it through the primary on the strength of support from voters in King and Whatcom counties. He finished fourth in Snohomish and Skagit counties, meaning that he was the third-favorite Republican in those counties.
Werrell and Delany intend to rework the playbook, recasting Celis as a candidate focused on trimming the federal deficit, rewriting the federal health care law and tying DelBene to the policies of President Barack Obama.
“Suzan DelBene represents the status quo,” Delany said. “Pedro is an innovator, a breath of fresh air.”
Political reporter Jerry Cornfield’s blog, The Petri Dish, is at www.heraldnet.com. Contact him at (360) 352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
