Lewandowski to join Trump at NH rally amid Senate bid speculation

Corey Lewandowski will join President Trump in New Hampshire on Thursday amid mounting speculation that he could mount a 2020 run against Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.).

Speculation has swirled in Washington over whether the president could use a planned political rally to endorse or encourage a potential Senate bid by Lewandowski, who served as Trump’s first campaign manager in 2016 and remains among his most ardent allies.

{mosads}“I will be with the president tomorrow on his visit to New Hampshire and I’m excited for him to come back and talk about his message of economic prosperity and national security,” Lewandowski told The Hill. 

Asked whether he planned to announce his candidacy during Trump’s visit to New Hampshire, Lewandowski demurred, noting that the state’s 2020 Senate primary is still more than a year away and that ”there’s a lot of time to make decisions about running.”

But he did not rule out the possibility of an impending campaign announcement, and noted that Trump could often be “unpredictable” in his remarks.

“Sometimes the president is unpredictable,” Lewandowski said. “Having had the opportunity to serve next to him in several capacities, I’ll be prepared for any comments he makes.”

News surfaced earlier this month that Lewandowski was considering a challenge to Shaheen, a former New Hampshire governor who is expected to seek a third term in the Senate in 2020. His supporters say that his deep ties to Trump would help galvanize conservatives in the Granite State. 

But if he mounts a Senate run, Lewandowski would first have to make it through a primary contest that already includes former New Hampshire House Speaker Bill O’Brien and retired brigadier general Donald Bolduc. 

David Bossie, the president of the conservative group Citizens United and a close ally of Lewandowski, commissioned a poll this month aimed at nudging the former Trump campaign manager towards a Senate bid. That survey, first reported by Politico on Tuesday, shows Lewandowski leading in a hypothetical primary matchup with 30 percent support, followed by Bolduc.

After Trump’s election in 2016, Lewandowski founded a lobbying firm, Avenue Strategies, and now works for Turnberry Solutions, another lobbying shop in Washington.

His work in D.C. could prove to be a liability in a potential Senate run. Democrats in the state say they are prepared to hone in on his lobbying efforts, should he mount a challenge to Shaheen.