The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has filled out its senior staff, tapping Guy Cecil to be political director and Katie Barge to serve as research director for the 2006 cycle.

Cecil joins the DSCC after serving as campaign manager last cycle for Erskine Bowles’ (D) unsuccessful Senate bid in North Carolina. Prior to that, Cecil was a principal in the Dewey Square Group’s grass-roots campaign practice. [IMGCAP(1)]

During the 2002 cycle Cecil was director of the Democratic coordinated campaign in Arkansas, an effort that aided now-Sen. Mark Pryor’s (D) victory over then-Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R).

In 2001, Cecil served as national field director for the Children’s Defense Fund. Before that, he was field director for Missouri’s Democratic coordinated campaign in 2000.

During the 2000 presidential primaries, Cecil worked on then-Vice President Al Gore’s (D) New Hampshire staff and was Vermont state director.

Barge, meanwhile, most recently served as research director at Media Matters for America, a Web-based enterprise founded by conservative journalist turned liberal activist David Brock to combat conservative media influence.

Before that, she worked in the research department of then-Sen. John Edwards’ (D-N.C.) presidential primary campaign.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has hired Sarah Feinberg as press secretary. She previously served as national press secretary for former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.).

Denied. Former Rep. Bill Janklow (R-S.D.) failed Thursday in a bid to overturn his 2003 manslaughter conviction.

Janklow was sentenced last year to 100 days in jail following an August 2003 incident in which the ex-governor ran a stop sign and collided with a motorcycle, killing its rider, 55-year-old Randy Scott. Janklow resigned from the House soon after.

On Thursday, the South Dakota Supreme Court ruled 5-0 that Janklow had received a fair trial and that his conviction would stand. Following the court’s decision, Janklow’s lawyer, Edwin Evans, told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, “I don’t foresee any additional appeals or proceedings.”

Janklow has already served his 100 days in prison, and under the terms of his sentence he can clear the manslaughter conviction from his record once he completes three years of probation.

— Lauren W. Whittington and Ben Pershing