Gov. Brad Little’s campaign on Thursday hired the co-campaign manager and senior advisor for Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential run.

Chris LaCivita will serve as senior advisor for Little’s re-election bid, according to a news release. A longtime political consultant from Virginia, LaCivita played a role in the 2004 “swift boat” campaign to discredit Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.

LaCivita will be a “huge asset” to the campaign, Little stated in the news release.

“His insight and ability to deliver winning messages and tactics are unparalleled,” Little stated. “I am glad to have him on the team.”

The announcement comes two days after Little filed to run for a third term, making it clear where he will spend some of his $1.43 million in contributions.

According to news reports, LaCivita ran a 2020 super PAC to support Trump’s second presidential run before officially joining Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Twenty years before that, LaCivita helped orchestrate an attack campaign that Kerry never recovered from. Swift Boat Veterans for Truth in 2004 released a political ad featuring Vietnam veterans who claimed Kerry lied about his military service. The term “swiftboating” is now a part of the political lexicon to describe dishonest political attacks.

As of Thursday morning, six Republican challengers, two Democrats and two Libertarians have filed to run for governor against Little. View the full list here. The filing window closes at 5 p.m. Friday.

None of the challengers come close to competing with Little’s massive fundraising advantage. Democrat Terri Pickens has raised $68,251 and Republican Mark Fitzpatrick has raised $27,136.

The primary election is May 19.