TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Ron DeSantis’ political campaign is shedding a third of its staff as the campaign reboots to focus on a leaner, “insurgent” posture.
Layoffs include ten event staffers, two senior advisors and 26 employees from various departments.
“Following a top-to-bottom review of our organization, we have taken additional, aggressive steps to streamline operations and put Ron DeSantis in the strongest position to win this primary and defeat Joe Biden,” campaign manager Generra Peck said in a statement.
“Governor DeSantis is going to lead the Great American Comeback and we’re ready to hit the ground running as we head into an important month of the campaign,” Peck added.
A senior advisor to DeSantis told CBS News that the campaign has been upfront about the reset and the remaining staff are leaning into it – some taking on dual roles in the operation. Another adviser said the campaign was “just bloated” with too many people.
The campaign says it will cut down on travel and large-scale events and focus on smaller, more intimate meet-and-greets with DeSantis and his family.
ROAD TO SUPER TUESDAY
As the official campaign takes aggressive steps to scale back, other DeSantis backers, including the super PAC Never Back Down, are filling in some of the gaps. The super PAC will host DeSantis on multiple bus tours throughout Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina into the fall.
But while DeSantis raised a record $20 million in the first six weeks of his campaign, some say the operation needs to concentrate on smaller, individual donations to help propel the governor through Super Tuesday next March.
Small-dollar donations – crucial to presidential campaigns – are a sign of enthusiasm for a candidate at the grassroots level. Wealthy donors often max out their contributions early on in the campaign, making individual donors an essential part of a long-term fundraising strategy.
