Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. As White House Chief-of-Staff Reince Priebus political stock continues to rise as he becomes one of Donald Trumps closest advisers and a key strategist for the new administration. His political experience and connections are being viewed as the key for Trump a President-elect who has never served in public office.
When Priebus was named last month to be the incoming chief-of-staff to president-elect Trump it marked yet another seismic jump in a political career that has guided major changes at both the state and now national levels of government.
Priebus began volunteering for political causes when he was 16 and was named chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party in 2007 at age 35 the youngest to serve in the post.
In 2011 he became Republican National Committee chair defeating four opponents after multiple rounds of party balloting. Priebus successes at the time included helping Wisconsin Republicans sweep statewide and local midterm elections in 2010 including Ron Johnsons defeat of democrat incumbent Russ Feingold for the U.S. Senate.
The 2010 midterms came after the Milwaukee Business Journal selected Priebus as an honoree in the 40 Under 40 Awards in 2008. At the time Priebus was both state GOP chairman and a partner in the Milwaukee law firm of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP. He told the Business Journal at the time that politics was both a hobby and a passion for him.
Im in it to try and do something special rather than trying to be someone special he said.
Too many people are in politics because they want to be someone special."
When the Kenosha Wisconsin native was selected to become Republican National Committee chairman a half-decade ago it put the Wisconsin Republican in one of the highest-profile positions in U.S. politics.
U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan a Janesville WI Republican who first became a U.S. Congressman in Wisconsins 1st District in 1999 recognized Priebus work ethic and ability back then.
The achievements hes been able to make are the kinds of things people usually do over a lifetime" Ryan told the Business Journal in 2008.
Hes not even 40 and hes hit that high echelon of party leaders."
