Republican gubernatorial candidate Roy Brown on Monday announced the hiring of Chris Wilcox, former executive director the Montana Republican Party, as his campaign manager.

“His deep Montana roots and proven record of expertise will be an incredible asset to our team,” said Brown, a state senator from Billings.

Wilcox, a Miles City native, had been executive director of the Montana Republican Party since January 2007 and has worked in state GOP politics since 2002. He coordinated the state party’s 2006 voter turnout program as well as other special projects.

In the 2003 and 2005 legislative sessions, Wilcox worked as a Republican policy aide.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to work with (Brown) and help bring fiscal responsibility and real tax relief back to the governor’s office,” Wilcox said.

Wilcox joins Tyler Matthews, the campaign coordinator and also a Miles City native, on the Brown campaign team.

Brown is running against Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

Jake Eaton, the Montana Republican Party’s finance and political director, was promoted Monday to replace Wilcox as the party’s executive director. Eaton had been chairman of Montana College Republicans before serving as grassroots director of U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg’s 2006 re-election campaign.

The party’s press release called Eaton one of Montana’s most successful fund-raisers, saying he had raised millions of dollars for GOP candidates and organizations in Montana and other states.

He is also a combat veteran who served as an infantryman in Iraq with the Montana National Guard from 2004-05.

“Jake’s experience and commitment to serving the people of Montana make him a real asset for the Republican Party,” said state Republican Party Chairman Erik Iverson.

Eaton, another Miles City native, said, “Montana Republicans have an incredible amount of enthusiasm that we’ll continue to build upon, and that excitement will lead to strong victories in November.”