Republican Party of Kentucky names new leader with ties to WKU, Trump campaign
The Republican Party of Kentucky has a new leader.
Zach Jordan, a Western Kentucky University alumnus who most recently helped run the campaign for President Donald Trump in Arizona, was named executive director of the state party Tuesday.
Jordan held the role of deputy state director for the Trump campaign in Arizona, a key swing state that Trump ended up flipping from blue to red in his 2024 win over former Vice President Kamala Harris.
A party statement announcing Jordan’s hire noted that he “helped lead the official ground game” for Trump in Arizona, organizing events, developing field operations and managing data.
Republican Party of Kentucky Chair Robert Benvenuti said he was “thrilled” to bring Jordan on.
“He clearly possesses the intellect, skill and thoughtfulness required to successfully carryout this critical and difficult job,” Benvenuti wrote in a statement. “Zach brings a unique blend of experience in grassroots operations, leadership, fundraising and data strategy. He has a wealth of knowledge and is ready to hit the ground running.”
A native of Indianapolis and a 2017 graduate of Western Kentucky University, Jordan began his professional career working for the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Outside of involvement in the Trump campaign, Jordan’s most recent professional stop was serving as vice president of Blair Group, a GOP-aligned consulting firm focused on canvassing founded by a former deputy press secretary under Trump. The party’s statement calls Jordan a “key driver” of the company’s national expansion who secured contracts across the country.
The consulting firm generated some headlines during the 2024 cycle for assisting with the effort to get progressive independent presidential candidate Cornel West on the ballot in Wisconsin.
The party’s last executive director was Sara Van Wallaghen, who left her role late last year to join a lobbying firm, The Rotunda Group. Adam Feldman was serving as the interim executive director before Jordan’s hire.
Jordan said in the party statement that it was an “honor” to be named to the role.
“The Republican Party of Kentucky is considered the gold standard for state parties, both in success and dominance in state and federal elections,” Jordan wrote.
“I look forward to helping build on that legacy. Kentucky Republicans have a bright future, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Republicans have, indeed, dominated partisan politics in Kentucky of late.
They’ve held both U.S. Senate seats and delivered the state to the GOP candidate for president for 25 years. More recently, they’ve controlled five of the state’s six Congressional districts and total control over the state legislature — carving out bigger majorities than Democrats ever did in their 75-year stretch running the statehouse.
One office, however, has eluded consistent GOP control.
No Republican has ever won more than one term to the highest office in the state. Most recently, Gov. Andy Beshear rebuffed former Attorney General Daniel Cameron by 5 points in his reelection bid for the governor’s mansion.