The super PAC supporting Carly Fiorina will roll out several prominent Republican endorsements in Maine tomorrow, an indication of growing interest in her campaign after her breakout debate performance last week.
Former Representative David Emery and Matt Jacobson, a 2010 candidate for governor who serves as the executive director of the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative, will serve as co-chairs supporting Fiorina in the Pine Tree State, according to a release provided first to National Review. They join state Senator Amy Volk, who was already working as a co-chair for Fiorina in the state. She welcomed the new supporters in a statement, calling it evidence of “a surge of support for Carly” in the state.
Emery, in a statement, lauded Fiorina for her “encyclopedic knowledge and depth of understanding of critical foreign policy and defense issues that far surpasses that of other candidates.” Jacobson pointed to her meteoric rise from secretary to CEO as an inspiration.
Also on board with Fiorina are Susan Dench, president and board chairwoman of the Informed Women’s Network, and state Representatives Wayne Parry, Deb Sanderson, and Heather Sirocki.
#share#”We can make America great again — through Carly Fiorina,” said Sanderson in a statement, quoting Donald Trump’s campaign slogan. “She has everything — an outsider perspective, a stellar business background, a fresh message, the charm, the wit, the presence — to lead America in the 21st century.”
Sanderson’s statement highlights the role Fiorina is taking on in the Republican presidential race. Like Trump and Ben Carson, she is a political outsider, but her stellar debate performance has made some Republicans see her as the most serious and viable outsider candidate of the three.
#related#Fiorina’s major challenge now is to close the sale with voters and donors whose interest was piqued by the debate. She has to show she can win the supporters, raise the money, and build the campaign infrastructure she’ll need to capitalize on her success.
So far, most on-the-ground organizing for the campaign has been done by the main pro-Fiorina Super PAC, which regularly shows up to her publicly announced campaign events with signs, stickers, and staff. With increased scrutiny on Fiorina and her record, Republicans say the campaign itself is going to have to take on more direct control.
— Alexis Levinson is a senior political reporter for National Review.
Editor’s Note: This piece has been updated since its initial publication.