Obama campaign manager joins Anthony Brown campaign

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Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, running to get his state’s top job next year, announced Monday that Obama 2012 campaign manager Jim Messina will be serving as a top adviser, a major coup for Brown.

Messina is widely credited with much of the strategy that vaulted Obama to a dominating electoral college win last year despite a sagging economy. Messina could help Brown shape his tactics in what is expected to be an intense Democratic primary in the governor’s race, as well as send a signal to Democratic donors and activists around the state that Brown is a strong enough candidate to get the backing of one of Obama’s closest aides.

Messina served as a top White House adviser to Obama before running the reelection campaign.

“I met a lot of people traveling across America as President Obama’s campaign manager and I can tell you that Anthony Brown truly stands out as one of the best in this next generation of leaders,” Messina said in a statement.

Brown could be the the only African-American Democrat in the country who is nominated by the party for a gubernatorial seat. But other Democrats in the state are not conceding the primary to Brown, although he is one of the leading candidates.

Massachusetts Deval Patrick, currently the sole black Democratic governor, has said he will not seek reelection next year, when his term ends.