Former Trump Advisor Kellyanne Conway Joins Jake Corman’s Campaign for Governor

A nationally known pollster who was a top advisor and campaign manager for former President Donald Trump is joining state Sen. Jake Corman’s campaign for Pennsylvania governor.

Kellyanne Conway will serve as Corman’s campaign pollster and special adviser, the Bellefonte native and state Senate’s top-ranking Republican announced on Friday.

“Kellyanne Conway is a proven winner who’s ready to help Republicans take back the governor’s office here in Pennsylvania,” Corman said in a news release. “Her experience in communications and polling is second-to-none. Kellyanne knows what it takes to win tough campaigns, and we’re excited to have her on our team.”

Conway became the first woman to lead a successful presidential campaign in 2016 after joining Trump’s team in August of that year and helping the Republican win 30 states, including Pennsylvania. She did not manage Trump’s reelection bid in 2020, which he lost to President Joe Biden.

From 2017 through August 2020, she was senior counselor to the president. During that time she faced several controversies, including a recommendation by the Office of Special Counsel in 2019 that she be removed from federal office for violations of the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal executive branch employees from engaging in political activities. She was also among 13 Trump administration officials identified in a November report by the OSC as violating the act.

In 1995, Conway founded the Polling Company and WomanTrend, which she operated until 2017.

Corman, who this week was reelected as state Senate president pro tempore, is one of at least 15 Republicans running or expected to run for governor this year. He announced last month that he will not concurrently seek a seventh term representing the 34th Senate District, which includes all of Centre County.

“Pennsylvania needs a strong, principled leader who will end years of destructive progressive politics in the governor’s office,” Conway said in the news release. “Jake Corman is that leader. He has the experience to take command quickly and restore the personal freedoms stripped from Pennsylvanians by Gov. [Tom] Wolf during the pandemic. He’ll create jobs, expand educational opportunities and give law enforcement the tools they need to stop the violence plaguing Pennsylvania communities.”

Whichever candidate emerges from the GOP field is likely to face current Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro in the general election. Shapiro is so far unopposed for the Democratic nomination.