Ron DeSantis replaced his campaign manager on Tuesday in the latest shake-up of his Republican primary bid for the White House.
The Florida governor pushed aside Generra Peck in favor of James Uthmeier, DeSantis’ chief of staff and a trusted advisor.
In another high-profile change, David Polyansky is moving from a pro-DeSantis super PAC to working directly for the campaign. He will serve as deputy campaign manager, the Washington Examiner reported.
Peck, 36, will stay on as the campaign’s chief strategist. She ran DeSantis’ re-election campaign for governor. She had never run a presidential campaign.
The adjustments were the third in less than a month for DeSantis. They come as DeSantis trails former President Donald Trump by wide margins in national polls, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The GOP nominee, whoever it may be, likely will face Democrat President Joe Biden in the November 2024 presidential election.
“James Uthmeier has been one of Gov. DeSantis’ top advisers for years, and he is needed where it matters most: working hand in hand with Generra Peck and the rest of the team to put the governor in the best possible position to win this primary and defeat Joe Biden,” Andrew Romeo, the campaign’s communications director, said in a statement, according to The New York Times.
DeSantis previously promoted digital director Ethan Eilon to deputy campaign manager last month. That’s after he fired roughly 40% of his original staff amid concerns about his spending and fundraising.
Uthmeier told The Messenger on Tuesday that “people have written Gov. DeSantis’ obituary many times.”
“From his race against establishment primary candidate Adam Putnam to his victory over legacy media-favored candidate Andrew Gillum [in 2018] to his 20-point win over Charlie Crist [in 2022], Gov. DeSantis has proven that he knows how to win,” he said. “He’s breaking records on fundraising and has a supporting super PAC with $100 million in the bank and an incredible ground game. Get ready.”
Uthmeier and Peck have been close allies ever since the governor’s re-election campaign, The Messenger reported.
“Governor DeSantis is running one of the most aggressive early state campaigns in modern history,” Peck said. “Our organization welcomes the best of the best, and James is one of my closest colleagues and friends — we are better for his joining and providing day-to-day leadership. This team is built to last and built to win.”