Romney campaign chief has ties to Maine

BOSTON – Mitt Romney has named businessman Ben Coes to be his campaign manager, saying Coes has a long history in Republican politics nationally and in New England.

Coes’ political experience includes a stint as executive director of the Maine Republican Party during the 1994 election cycle.

Coes was also a senior aide to California Gov. Pete Wilson during his 1996 presidential campaign and was a speech writer for U.S. Energy Secretary Admiral James Watkins.

Coes most recently served as chairman and president of software company Beachfire Inc. and before that was general manager of Iron Road Railways Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based holding company that manages transportation companies in the United States and Canada.