Former Obama aide to head up Dems’ statewide effort

Kristina Althoff's whirlwind tour is carrying her back to Vermont.

Althoff, a former Democratic Party staffer, is back to lead the state party's ‘Coordinated Campaign.' She has been spent the past 15 months working as a field organizer for Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

"I am extremely excited to be back," Althoff told PolitickerVT.com in an email.

As coordinated campaign director, Althoff will work to ensure cooperation among the state's various Democratic campaigns.

Althoff worked with the Obama campaign in 6 different states starting with New Hampshire. She says the experience taught her "how you can bring people who haven't been interested in political before into a campaign."

Already, Althoff is applying one of the Obama campaign's key adages in her new post. "We've had six years of Jim Douglas and Brian Dubie and Vermonters are ready for change," she wrote.

Althoff, an Illinois native, is no stranger to Vermont politics. She previously managed the Democratic House Caucus' PAC and served as a regional field director for the party's 2004 coordinated campaign.

Among the challenges Althoff faces includes moving forward despite not having a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor. Althoff told PolitickerVT.com, "We feel very confident that we'll have a candidate to run for Lt. Governor."