New Chief

Gov. Phil Batt’s chief of staff, Jeff Malmen, will become the manager of the gubernatorial campaign of U.S. Sen. Dirk Kempthorne in three weeks.

Malmen, who managed Batt’s 1994 campaign and has been his chief of staff since that election, will be replaced Tana Shillingstad, who has been one of the retiring governor’s top aides since he took office.

Before joining the administration, Shillingstad worked for U.S. Sen. Larry Craig in his Pocatello office.

Kempthorne has only token opposition in the Republican primary in May.

He likely will face former Supreme Court Justice Robert Huntley, who has only minor opposition in the Democratic primary.