Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shook up his leadership team, dismissing his campaign manager Generra Peck, who previously ran his successful 2022 gubernatorial election. Peck is cited as responsible for the early spending splurge that led to massive layoffs, as the campaign has made little to no headway in the polls against former President Donald Trump. It grew too big, too fast. Peck will be replaced by DeSantis’ chief of staff, James Uthmeier. Peck will remain as chief strategist (via NYT):
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has replaced his campaign manager, Generra Peck, in the latest shake-up in his weekslong attempt to reinvigorate his struggling bid for the White House.
Replacing Ms. Peck as campaign manager is James Uthmeier, the governor’s chief of staff and one of his most trusted advisers but someone with little campaign experience. In another significant shift, David Polyansky, one of the architects of the early-state strategy at Never Back Down, the main pro-DeSantis super PAC, is moving from that outside group to the campaign. The Messenger earlier reported the moves.
The campaign staffing changes — the third round in less than a month — come as Mr. DeSantis and his message have so far struggled to connect with Republican primary voters. Mr. DeSantis has built his candidacy on being a more electable Republican and the type of politician who can actually accomplish what he promises.
But a recent New York Times/Siena College poll showed that Republican voters viewed former President Donald J. Trump as a stronger candidate against President Biden, and as the Republican contender more likely to “get things done.”
DeSantis remains at least 20 points behind Donald Trump, and that’s gearing to stay that way since each new indictment further solidifies the former president’s standing in the polls. The Times noted that DeSantis’ past campaigns had a ton of turnover, so this isn’t out of character per se.
In 2018, DeSantis did another massive shake-up, though the publication cited GOP operative Whit Ayres, who worked on that race, saying there’s a limit to what a new staff can do. Often, it's the candidate that’s the problem. DeSantis’ unfavorability ratings are high, though it’s partially due to Trump supporters tilting the scales slightly. DeSantis’ camp seems to have underestimated Trump's grip on the base, which is ironclad and leaves little room to maneuver.
Let’s see how the debates go.
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