Tom Steyer posts LinkedIn ad for staff in key 2020 states
Liberal billionaire Tom Steyer is looking to hire experienced political operatives in early presidential nominating states, his spokesperson confirmed, taking him one big step closer to a potential 2020 presidential bid.
Steyer, one of the largest donors in the Democratic Party and its most outspoken advocate of impeaching President Donald Trump, posted an anonymous job listing on LinkedIn last week looking for state directors in New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina. Those states vote in the Democratic presidential primary process just after Iowa.
Spokesperson Aleigha Cavalier confirmed to NBC News the posting by a "high profile political campaign based on the West Coast" is indeed Steyer's, as first reported by BuzzFeed, but said the San Franciscan has not yet made up his mind about 2020.
"As Tom has said publicly -- he is considering how he can have the most impact in 2020 and our team is exploring staffing options should he decide to move forward with a run. Tom has not made a final decision and any discussions with potential staff are preliminary," Cavalier said.
Steyer is hardly alone among potential 2020 candidates in reaching out to potential staffers, even though most campaigns do not yet officially exist. Likely candidates often select employees on a conditional basis so that, should they decide to formally get in the race, they can have top staffers in place from the start.
Steyer's posting suggests that he's looking to enter the crowded 2020 field with a robust campaign with a presence in all four early states, a luxury that he can afford thanks to his personal wealth. Other candidates will likely start out with smaller footprint in one or two states before expanding to others later in the process.
