McKenna taps GOP strategist as chief of staff

Attorney General Rob McKenna did not announce that he is running for governor today.

He did announce the hiring of a guy who could make sure McKenna is prepared for such a campaign.

McKenna named Randy J. Pepple as his new chief of staff. effective June 1. He will succeed Mike Bigelow, who is retiring next month after a distinguished 30-year career in public service.

Pepple, who has known McKenna pretty much since college, served as chief of staff for former Congressman Rick White in the ’90s. Pepple is better recognized for his work as a communications consultant with Hill &Knowlton and as manager of his strategic communications consulting firm.

Pepple is a regular commentator in the media serving up political opinions from the Republican point of view. (From my experiences with him, he’ll keep McKenna from straying far from the latest GOP pulse.)

A UW alumni profile in 1997 quotes Pepple as saying his first political involvement came at age 13 when he handed out buttons for Scoop Jackson.

From the article:

By the time he graduated from the UW in 1984 with a B.A. in political science, Pepple knew he’d pursue a career in politics. Former classmates may remember his political column, “The Right Way,” which ran in The Daily in 1983. “I was the token conservative on The Daily in those days,” he explains.

(To read it all, go here and scroll down. )

In a statement issued by the AG’s office today, Pepple described the decision to suspend his private sector consultancy as bittersweet, but “the opportunity to become Attorney General McKenna’s Chief of Staff was too intriguing to let pass.”

He added: “The chance to lead the fine administrative, policy and communications team he’s assembled — and to help advance his policy goals not just in our state, but across the country — is a great professional challenge.”

So too would be winning the 2012 gubernatorial election.