NASHVILLE (AP) — The Washington-based American Federation for Children has hired Republican operative Chip Saltsman to promote school vouchers in Tennessee.

Spokeswoman Kimberly Kump said the group's minimum objective is to help pass Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's limited school voucher proposal, but that it would prefer to see the program expanded to be available to a much larger number of children.

Saltsman was most recently chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Chattanooga. He previously served as chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party and ran former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's presidential bid in 2008.

Kump said Saltsman won't be directly lobbying lawmakers, but will be responsible for a larger public relations effort. She declined to say how much the group will spend on the promotion campaign.