Guthrie retains two Lewis staffers, gets Nixon’s old office

Two staffers who previously served under retiring U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis (R-Cecilia) will be working under Lewis’ replacement in the 2nd Congressional District, state Sen. and U.S. Rep.-elect Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green).

Guthrie announced today that Lewis’ Chief of Staff Eric Bergren will stay on board with Guthrie in the same capacity.
Bergren is a fourteen-year veteran of Capitol Hill who served as an intern under Lewis in 1994 and reportedly worked “every legislative job” on Lewis’ staff since then.

“Eric is known to be one of the smartest, hardest working staffers in Congress and we are proud that he will remain with the office,” Guthrie said in a statement.

Lewis’ Legislative Director, Megan Spindel, will also be retained in the same position by Guthrie. She has served under Lewis since 2002 in job including legislative assistant and scheduler.

The hires and Guthrie will be based out of the Cannon legislative office building, in office 510.

In a drawing held on Friday among the 54 incoming freshman members of Congress, Guthrie unluckily drew number 54 and was given the last choice of offices among the newcomers.

Those newcomers, of course, are already allocated the offices no Congressional incumbents want.

“I literally have the 435th office space chosen in the U.S. House,” Guthrie “joked,” according to a release from his office.

Texas Republican Louie Gohmert previously held the office. Guthrie’s camp points out the spot was also used by former President Richard Nixon, when he was serving as a U.S. Rep. from California.