Republican U.S. presidential candidate Ron DeSantis has made a change in his campaign management team as he tries to revive his struggling bid to outpace front-runner Donald Trump in the race for the Republican Party’s 2024 nomination.
James Uthmeier, a close adviser to DeSantis, has replaced Generra Peck as campaign manager, according to Andrew Romeo, the campaign’s communications director. Peck had previously served as campaign chief since DeSantis launched his candidacy in May.
Earlier in July, the campaign had already made significant staff changes, including the firing of nearly 40 employees and reshuffling some upper-level positions.
Despite these changes, anonymous sources close to the campaign have revealed that donors are anxious and remaining staff members are frustrated, considering the campaign to be lacking a clear direction.
It remains uncertain whether the latest reshuffle will satisfy DeSantis’ allies. Prominent Republican donor Dan Eberhart commented that the move was not substantial enough, as both Peck and Uthmeier are simply switching to similar positions within the campaign. Peck will continue to serve as chief strategist.
DeSantis, currently in second place for the Republican nomination, has been steadily declining in opinion polls for several months. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll puts his national support at just 13%, compared to former President Trump’s 47%.
Uthmeier, a staunch conservative, has limited experience in electoral politics and campaigns. It is unclear whether he will adopt a more moderate stance, as some donors have suggested.
Prior to joining DeSantis’ campaign, Uthmeier served as general counsel and chief of staff to the Florida governor. Andrew Romeo stated that Uthmeier will work alongside Generra Peck and the rest of the team to position DeSantis for success in the primary and against Joe Biden.
DeSantis is facing a critical moment on August 23 in Milwaukee, where the first Republican debate of the 2024 campaign will take place. Trump has announced that he will not be participating, potentially shifting the spotlight onto DeSantis and making him a target for other candidates’ attacks.
Another addition to the DeSantis campaign is David Polyansky, who will join as a senior adviser. Polyansky previously held a key role in the main outside spending group supporting DeSantis.
This recent shakeup is consistent with DeSantis’ campaign history, according to Whit Ayres, a Republican operative and former pollster for DeSantis. Ayres stated that DeSantis has had different campaign staff for each of his previous runs for Congress and governor, emphasizing the importance of having experienced presidential campaign staff.
The dismissal of campaign managers during the summer before an election year is not uncommon when campaigns fail to gain traction. In 2007, Republican Senator John McCain fired most of his senior campaign staff before eventually securing the 2008 Republican nomination.
However, DeSantis is facing significant challenges, as Trump’s lead of 34 percentage points in the polls is unprecedented in competitive primary races.
Reporting by Gram Slattery in Washington, Alexandra Ulmer in San Francisco and Tim Reid in Los Angeles; Editing by Ross Colvin and Will Dunham.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
