Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has moved a large portion of his campaign staff from his home state to Iowa as he redoubles his efforts to defeat former President Donald Trump in the Hawkeye State caucuses, according to a report.
About a third of DeSantis’ staff was ordered to Iowa on Wednesday after The Post reported that the presidential candidate was turning his attention to the nation’s No. 1 state in the wake of the second Republican debate.
Campaign staff will live in temporary housing as Florida’s governor prepares for the Jan. 15 caucuses, the New York Times first reported.
The relocation would make Des Moines a de facto second headquarters for the campaign, with nearly 24 employees expected to work from the state.
DeSantis’ national spokesperson Carly Atchinson confirmed the staff relocation.
Ron DeSantis attends the game between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Iowa Hawkeyes at Jack Trice Stadium. (Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports)USA TODAY Sports via Reuters With
The development comes as DeSantis hopes to revamp his strategy in Iowa. He plans to reach out to all 99 counties in the state, which places importance on handshakes and retail politics. A victory in Iowa, the DeSantis campaign previously told The Post, would show voters that the Republican primary is a “two-man” race between DeSantis and Trump.
According to the numbers, DeSantis will have to get big numbers (more than 30 points) to get closer to the 77-year-old former president. The Real Clear Politics poll average shows DeSantis running a distant second at 16% in the state, behind Trump’s commanding 49.2%.
Donald Trump in the hallway of the Manhattan Supreme Court on October 4, 2023, in New York. (Alec Tabak for NY Post)Alec TabakAn attendee holds a sign as former President Donald Trump attends the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on August 12, 2023. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP) AFP via Getty Images
The DeSantis camp has had previous staff shakeups, with dozens of employees being laid off in two mass exoduses over the summer amid dwindling cash flow.
The troubling financial situation was partially resolved thanks to a contribution of $15 million from donors in the third quarter of “his campaign committee, his leadership PAC and his joint fundraising committee,” a press release said. of the campaign on Wednesday.
Ron DeSantis signs a supporter hat while campaigning at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, August 12, 2023. (REUTERS/Scott Morgan)REUTERS
“Anyone who knows Ron DeSantis knows he is a fighter, a winner and a leader,” said campaign manager James Uthmeier. “This important fundraiser not only gives us the resources we need in the fight for Iowa and beyond, it also silences the skeptics who wrote off Ron DeSantis for too long.”
But the campaign reportedly still has cash problems. His advisers told the New York Times that the campaign only had $5 million left for the primary.
The pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down is also setting its sights on Iowa, with one official telling The Post: “This whole race is going to start to be viewed through that Iowa lens.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn