LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell didn’t look far to find a key strategist for his 2008 re-election campaign.

Justin Brasell, chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis, R-Ky., will serve as McConnell’s general consultant in next year’s campaign, the senator announced Thursday.

Brasell will become a political consultant in Kentucky, and said his clients will include his old boss, Davis, who is in his second term in northern Kentucky’s 4th District.

McConnell called Brasell an “outstanding young political operative,” and said Davis’ campaign team has built a reputation for “running an excellent ground game.”

“We’ll be relying on Justin to replicate that effort statewide for me in 2008,” McConnell said in a conference call with Kentucky reporters.

Davis said that another of his aides, Armstrong Robinson, will replace Brasell as his chief of staff. Robinson has served as Davis’ legislative director and counsel in Washington.

McConnell, the Senate minority leader, had $5.75 million on hand in his campaign coffers as of late last month. No Democrat has formally stepped forward to challenge him, but Attorney General Greg Stumbo recently said he was forming an exploratory committee and would begin raising money.

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