DYNAMIC DUO

Callista Gingrich Key to Newt’s Campaign

Wife went from small town girl to political powerhouse.

For some, Newt Gingrich’s three marriages appear to be a flaw he should try to cover up. But the presidential contender has actually made his wife Callista a centerpiece of his campaign, and the two are joined at the hip. The couple met when Gingrich was in Congress and married, and Callista—an ambitious young woman from rural Wisconsin—was a Hill staffer. In their 11 years of marriage, they’ve come to work very closely, collaborating on books and movies. But although she is always perfectly coiffed and well poised, some skeptics say she comes across as distant, and it’s still unclear how Gingrich’s personal record will play with social conservatives. Said Mrs. Gingrich’s chief of staff, “They’re a great couple that had a nontraditional start.”