On Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) made some shake-ups in his operations, laying off some staff ahead of the New Hampshire primary.
The super PAC supporting governor made the decision following his second-place finish in the Iowa caucuses on Monday. A super PAC official confirmed the layoffs, stating that some Iowa staff were transferred to early states while others were offered pay through the end of January.
A super PAC supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has begun laying off workers as the Republican presidential candidate shifts his focus to South Carolina. https://t.co/MiIYnyT3lp https://t.co/hAmfcQrlz0
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) January 18, 2024
“Never Back Down continues to host a slew of events on the ground for Gov. DeSantis in South Carolina, New Hampshire, and beyond aligned with our core mission of mobilizing grassroots field operations in those states,” CEO Scott Wagner said in a statement.
“We’ve mobilized several members of our robust Iowa team over to the other early primary states to help in these efforts and will continue working to help elect Gov. DeSantis, the most effective conservative leader in the race, our next president,” he continued.
According to a DeSantis campaign official, most of the campaign staff would relocate to South Carolina, the home state of former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. The official confirmed DeSantis would be in the state on Saturday and Sunday after a brief visit to Florida to attend a ceremony for Florida Supreme Court Justice Meredith Sasso.
One political staff member, George Andrews, posted on LinkedIn that he was let go. Andrews had been assigned as a caucus precinct operations director in Iowa but also listed himself as a state director in California.
“As of 6 a.m. this morning, I learned I am now a free agent due to budget cuts beyond my control. I completely understand why this had to happen, harbor no ill will, and wish my former team great success as they attempt to bring back sanity to our party. What they are trying to accomplish for America is much greater than my termination as an individual employee,” Andrews wrote in his LinkedIn post.
With the recent shake-up and move of his campaign staff to South Carolina, DeSantis is showing he prioritizes the southern state over New Hampshire in hopes of winning over the South Carolina Republican.
After his second-place finish in Iowa, many questioned the future of DeSantis’ presidential bid. Moving forward, DeSantis and Haley face a tough battle against former President Donald Trump as the competition heats up.
