LOS ANGELES: California Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger has named a veteran Republican communicator as his press secretary.
Margita Thompson will become Schwarzenegger's chief spokesperson as he begins his term in office next week. Thompson was most recently a producer with CNN, where she was in charge of booking political guests for Larry King Live. Before her move to broadcast, Thompson served in a number of high-profile communications jobs within the Republican party, including a stint as the press secretary for Lynne Cheney, the wife of Vice President Dick Cheney.
"Margita is supremely qualified for the job," Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "She is a native Californian who has worked in government and media at both the state and national levels. She will bring energy and enthusiasm to our already dynamic team."
Thompson also served as an aide to former California Governor Pete Wilson when he was a US senator, and later joined his team when he became governor, acting as his head of community relations. She was also communications director for former LA mayor Richard Riordan when he ran for governor in 2002, and was California press secretary for the Bush for President campaign in 1999.
