The Idaho Republican Party has named Phil Hardy as its "2010 Victory Director," a position that will oversee a parallel campaign in favor of Raul Labrador's challenge to 1st District Congressman Walt Minnick's re-election. Just a month earlier, the party had named Lindsay Hemmer to that post, but party executive director Jonathan Parker said Hemmer ended up declining the position just before she was to start on June 8. Hardy, who's now on the job, most recently served as communications director for the Idaho Senate majority caucus; he's also been an aide to Lt. Gov. Brad Little. Previously, Hardy worked in international communications and marketing in New York and London, and was media director for a London-based professional basketball franchise.

The new "victory director" position is one of two for which the Idaho GOP secured funding this year from the Republican National Committee to work against Minnick's re-election; the other is a North Idaho field office head, Jeff Ward.