Cassidy hires former Jindal campaign strategist

Baton Rouge Congressman Bill Cassidy has hired Gov. Bobby Jindal’s top campaign strategist to work on his 2012 re-election effort. Cassidy’s tapping of Timmy Teepell as a consultant is prompting speculation Cassidy may launch a 2014 challenge to U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat. Cassidy is a Republican. Teepell tells The Times-Picayune that Cassidy’s campaign is the only Louisiana campaign on which he’ll be working this year. “This one’s special to me. I live in Baton Rouge. Bill is, I think, a great congressman. We’re good friends. And so it’s always enjoyable to work with your own congressman on their re-election effort,” he says. Cassidy has no announced opponents. Teepell managed all of Jindal’s successful congressional and gubernatorial campaigns and served as his chief of staff before becoming a partner with OnMessage Inc., a political consulting firm. Landing Teepell is a political coup of sorts for Cassidy and an early indication—along with a $1.5 million bankroll—of his seriousness as a potential Senate candidate. It is also further evidence that Jindal will not make the race against Landrieu, who will be running for a fourth term in a state that has become more predominantly red since her last election. A call to Cassidy’s office for further comment was not returned as of press time. Read the full story here.