Taylor West, a veteran of several Democratic campaigns in purple- and red-leaning states, is joining Mark Udall's U.S. Senate campaign as communications director, a Tuesday afternoon press release announced.

West most recently served as Iowa Communications Director for U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd's 2008 presidential campaign. Before then, she was press secretary for Chet Culver's 2006 successful gubernatorial campaign in Iowa and Harris Miller's 2006 U.S. Senate primary campaign in Virginia.

A Virginia native, West has also worked as a researcher for Tim Kaine's 2005 successful campaign for governor of Virginia and Denise Majette's 2004 U.S. Senate campaign in Georgia.

"I think a candidate like Mark Udall, whose record and reputation is about bridging the divide and bringing people together to get things done is exactly the type of people we need in the U.S. Senate," West said.

West will work out of Udall's Denver campaign headquarters.