New Speaker Mike Johnson has an enormous staffing challenge in front of him.
Why it matters: Johnson has a tiny staff — some of whom have worked for him for less than a year — and relatively few connections on K Street.
He'll need a bunch of new energy and government spending experts to fill his office.
This dynamic could also mean much more influence for Steve Scalise and his experienced leadership team, a possibility lobbyists are already chattering about.
But Johnson has had two loyaltop staffers steering the ship…
Hayden Haynes, chief of staff
Details: Haynes, a Louisiana native, has been chief of staff for Johnson ever since he took office in 2017, per LegiStorm. He previously managed Johnson's campaign during his first congressional race in 2016.
Before that Haynes worked as a regional representative for a fellow Louisianan: former Sen. David Vitter.
In that role, Haynes was plugged in with local groups and governments, which is part of how he ended up as Johnson's chief, per a D.C. source who knows Johnson's staff.
"Hayden's a really effective political operator" who "knows Louisiana extremely well," said Dan Ziegler, a principal at Williams & Jensen who formerly worked with Johnson's staff on the Republican Study Committee.
He is still relatively young, especially for a chief of staff to the speaker, having graduated college in 2011 (at Louisiana Tech).
You can check out his Twitter feed here, though much of it is about Louisiana Tech sports and Saints football.
Garrett Fultz, deputy chief of staff
Details: Fultz has also been handling policy in Johnson's office since 2017, rising to the deputy chief role this year, per LinkedIn.
He's worked on an extensive slate of issues for the Louisiana Republican, including energy and appropriations.
Before heading to law school at Tulane, he worked briefly as a petroleum landman for Hunter Energy Corp.
Landmen typically manage and negotiate leasing and exploration agreements, so it's a fitting role for a future on the Hill.
What we're watching: Kevin McCarthy has a bevy of policy aides with leadership experience that could get a look as Johnson staffs up.
One name to keep an eye on: Josh Hodges, another Vitter alum, was Johnson's first LD. He went on to work at DOE and on the National Security Council during the Trump administration.
Ziegler will also be one of the new speaker's top connections to K Street.