ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York has hired a former top aide to several Republicans, including his cross-Hudson counterpart, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, as his new chief of staff.

The aide, Maria Comella, 36, had worked as an outside consultant for Mr. Cuomo this year, helping to formulate the governor’s 2017 agenda. Still, her appointment on Tuesday was striking if only because of Ms. Comella’s prominence in national politics.

Before joining Mr. Cuomo’s camp, Ms. Comella served a host of Republicans as part of presidential campaigns, including a winner — George W. Bush in 2004 — and two unsuccessful campaigns in 2008: those of Rudolph W. Giuliani and Senator John McCain.

More recently, she was deeply embedded with another presidential also-ran: Mr. Christie, for whom she served as communications director and as deputy chief of staff in New Jersey and as chief messaging officer for his aborted 2016 presidential effort, according to Mr. Cuomo’s office, which announced her new job as part of recent and continuing staff changes.