Richardson is the first to hire staff in Nevada

Gov. Bill Richardson is the first 2008 presidential candidate to hire staff in Nevada, the Reno Gazette-Journal is reporting.

Richardson will travel to northern Nevada on Saturday as he begins a campaign to win the Jan. 19 caucus that is a key contest because it was moved up this year and will be held between the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary.

Richardson’s visit to the northern part of the state “counters a common perception that candidates will focus on Democrat-rich Clark County,” where Las Vegas is located, the newspaper reported. This might be evidence of what Richardson has been saying he will do: take his campaign to the people, not the political leaders.

He has hired Reno activist Theresa Navarro, rural coordinator Michael Tassone and Las Vegas organizer Javier Trujillo to work on his campaign in Nevada, the newspaper reported. I was told several weeks ago that Richardson planned to hire Navarro. I spoke with her at the time and she said that was not the case, but did tell me that if she was asked to work for the campaign, she would do so.

Richardson is scheduled to be welcomed by a group of supporters Saturday at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport at 2:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. He’ll meet with Washoe County Democratic Party activists before speaking that evening at the Douglas County Democratic Party’s annual fundraising dinner in Minden, the newspaper reported.

He’ll be joined there by former Gen. Wesley Clark, a 2004 contender who hasn’t yet announced whether he’ll run in 2008.