Bachmann's spokeswoman joins Santorum campaign

Alice Stewart, Michele Bachmann's former spokeswoman, has joined Rick Santorum's campaign, The Hill has confirmed.

"I just hired her," said Hogan Gidley, Santorum's communications director, in an email.

Stewart served as Bachmann's on-the-record spokeswoman and primary media contact until the Minnesota congresswoman dropped out of the presidential race in January. Gidley said Stewart would serve as the Santorum campaign's national press secretary.

Stewart told The Hill she will be traveling with Santorum and will handle day-to-day press interactions.

"He's shown himself to be the true, consistent conservative in this race," Stewart said. "His growing momentum is evidence of that."

Stewart said her hire did not have any bearing on whether Bachmann would endorse the former Pennsylvania senator.

The hire by the Santorum campaign is not surprising. Bachmann and Santorum are both social conservatives who shared similar political space and competed for the same swatch of evangelical voters.

And Stewart also has historical connections to those working for Santorum. Stewart served as former Gov. Mike Huckabee's (R-Ark.) spokeswoman for his 2008 presidential campaign. Gidley has also worked for Huckabee and heads HuckPAC, Huckabee's political action committee.

Stewart said she and Gidley didn't work for Huckabee at the same time, missing each other by a few months, but have known each other for years due to their work in Arkansas television news.

"I think the world of him. He's a super guy and very talented," Stewart said.

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