Former lobbyist Christopher McCannell has been nabbed to serve as chief of staff to Congressman-elect Mike McMahon, D-N.Y. McCannell was previously a director in the government relations firm Quinn Gillespie where he focused on financial services. He also spent eight years as chief of staff to Rep. Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y., and served as press secretary for Rep. Steny Hoyer, and on the staffs of Rep. Paul Kanjorski and Sens. Frank Lautenberg and George Mitchell. McCannell is a Fordham graduate who is originally from Maine.

Senator-elect Mike Johanns, R-Neb., has hired former lobbyist Chris Peterson to be his deputy chief of staff in Lincoln, Nebraska. Peterson was Johanns' campaign manager and previously served as director of government affairs for Union Pacific Railroad. He also served executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party.

                                                                                         -- Winter Casey