Pawlenty Picks Campaign Chief

The Hill reports:

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) has chosen Nick Ayers as his presidential campaign manager, his exploratory committee said Monday.

Ayers, 28, formerly worked as executive director of the Republican Governors Association (RGA). He will start at his new position on April 25 and will work at Pawlenty's Minneapolis headquarters.

"Mary and I worked alongside Nick at the RGA. He is without question one of the best political talents in America," Pawlenty said in a statement. "We are very excited Nick will lead our team."

The move is a significant step for Pawlenty, who is the only mainstream candidate who has formed a presidential exploratory committee thus far. The former governor appears to be one step closer to officially announcing his candidacy in the coming weeks.

Ayers was also seen as one of the top available GOP operatives available for 2012. He helmed the RGA during one of its more successful recent cycles: Republicans netted six governor seats and the committee raised tens of millions of dollars for the GOP.