Meehan press aide returns for home stretch

The press secretary who worked on Republican Pat Meehan’s exploratory gubernatorial campaign last year has returned to handle media for the duration of the former U.S. Attorney’s congressional bid.

Virginia Davis, who is also an aide to former Senator Rick Santorum as he mulls a run for president, will be the campaign’s day-to-day spokesperson for the next two-and-a-half months. Davis worked on Santorum’s 2006 campaign, and took maternity leave from Meehan’s campaign shortly after he left the statewide contest to run for Congress in the 7th District instead. Pete Peterson, who has served as the spokesman for almost a year, will stay on as a communications consultant, Meehan’s campaign manager said.

“I’m looking forward to being part of the effort as we ramp up,” Davis told pa2010.com. “I think we all know what an important race this is, and I really believe Pat is the right person to take this seat back from the Democrats.”

Meehan faces Democrat Bryan Lentz. The Delaware County seat, left open by Democrat Joe Sestak’s Senate run, is currently No. 1 on the pa2010.com Congressional Power Rankings.