A well-known Republican operative currently working as a senior adviser to Gov. Paul LePage is joining the Trump administration as a speechwriter.
David Sorensen, who has been advising the governor on health care policy, wrote on his Facebook page Thursday that he had been offered the job, which he called an “extraordinary honor.”
“This is an opportunity not for me but for our country, to help President Trump make America great again just as Governor LePage has made Maine great again,” he wrote.
The governor’s office confirmed Sorenson’s departure but declined to comment. He said he is moving to Washington, D.C., on Sunday.
Sorensen, 32, previously worked as a spokesman and policy adviser under Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew even though the agency already had a spokesperson. He was often asked to promote welfare reform measures and did so aggressively. Mayhew announced Wednesday that she, too, is leaving state government at the end of this week. She did not say what her future plans are, but there is widespread speculation she may run for governor next year.
Sorensen also has served as a spokesman for House Republican leader Kenneth Fredette and for the Maine Republican Party, and worked on the U.S. Senate campaign for Charlie Summers in 2012.
“As the communications director for the House Republicans, David Sorensen was an invaluable resource for us. His ability to message our positions on critical issues such as our opposition to Medicaid expansion and pushing for much needed welfare reforms were integral to our success during his tenure,” Fredette said in a statement. “We all wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”
Sorensen, originally from Massachusetts, came to Maine about six years ago to work in Republican politics and attend the University of Maine School of Law, where he received a juris doctorate. He also has a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York.
He has a reputation as an aggressive and sometimes combative political operative, particularly while he was working for the House Republicans and for the state party. During the 2014 gubernatorial campaign, he tussled with reporters and engaged frequently on social media with Democratic counterparts. Since he’s been an adviser to the governor, he’s been more low-key although still a regular presence in the State House.
It’s not clear exactly what his role will be in the Trump administration, but he will work in the Executive Office of the President, under Chief of Staff Reince Priebus.
Sorensen is an avid boater and fisherman, and said in a message Thursday that he plans to return to Maine when he can.
Eric Russell can be contacted at 791-6344 or at:
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