Kellyanne Conway, a longtime senior adviser to former President Donald Trump, is signing on to Colorado Republican Gino Campana’s campaign for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Michael Bennet, a Campana spokesman said Thursday.

Conway, the veteran pollster and political strategist who managed Trump’s winning 2016 presidential campaign, worked at the White House from 2017 to 2020 as senior counselor to the president. She’ll be a senior advisor to Campana, one of eight Republicans challenging Bennet’s bid for a third term.

Calling Campana “a strong leader who will fight for the people and not be part of the status quo in Washington,” Conway said in a written statement that she looks forward to helping the former Fort Collins city councilman’s campaign. 

“Senator Michael Bennet has been a rubberstamp, knee-jerk vote for Biden’s costly agenda that has led to record border crossings, record inflation, and record crime,” she said. “As a first generation American and successful businessman, Gino Campana will bring fresh, common-sense leadership to Colorado and a track record of making tough and wise decisions. Gino will be a voice for all Coloradans, create jobs, deliver clean energy, tackle crime and the ever-growing drug crisis, and expand educational choice. He is a problem-solver. I look forward to working with Gino Campana’s grassroots campaign built by the people and for the people.”

A spokesman said Conway plans to join the Campana campaign on Monday for a telephone town hall with Republican activists and potential delegates to the GOP’s April 9 state assembly, where Campana will be vying for a spot on Colorado’s June 28 primary ballot.

“I’m honored to have Kellyanne Conway join our campaign to fight for the American dream,” Campana said in a statement. “Her energy, determination and understanding of our grassroots movement is unmatched. We look forward to winning back this U.S. Senate seat for the people of Colorado.”

Conway is one of several former top Trump administration officials who are supporting Campana. He’s won endorsements from former Interior Secretary and Colorado native David Bernhardt, former acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and retired Coast Guard Rear Admiral Peter J. Brown, who was Trump’s homeland security and counterterrorism advisor.

Campana, a wealthy real estate developer, reported raising $956,000 through the end of 2021, including $500,000 he loaned his campaign and $24,000 he donated to himself. He started the year with $784,000 on hand.

Conway, the first woman to run a successful campaign for the presidency, popularized the phrase “alternative facts” in the early days of the Trump administration when she defended the White House press secretary’s false claims about the size of the crowd at Trump’s inauguration. In December 2020, Trump appointed Conway to the 15-member Air Force Academy Board of Visitors.

Other Republicans running in the U.S. Senate primary include state Rep. Ron Hanks, Denver construction company owner Joe O’Dea, 2008 Olympian Eli Bremer, ex-talk radio host Deborah Flora and former congressional candidate Peter Yu. Political science professor Greg Moore and Pueblo business owner Dan Hendricks, both first-time candidates, jumped in the race in early January.