Gov. Ron DeSantis is reshuffling the leadership of his presidential campaign.
The campaign confirmed to Florida Politics that James Uthmeier, previously the Governor’s Chief of Staff in his official state capacity, will move over to lead the political operation. He replaces Generra Peck as Campaign Manager. Peck will remain with the campaign in a new role.
“James Uthmeier has been one of Governor DeSantis’ top advisors 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,” said Andrew Romeo, the DeSantis campaign’s Communications Director.
The Messenger first reported Peck would no longer serve as Campaign Manager but would remain as chief strategist.
Uthmeier first came on as DeSantis’ Chief of Staff in 2021. He served before that as the Governor’s General Counsel, and had been part of the legal team in the Executive Office of the Governor since 2019.
Peck previously managed DeSantis’ successful re-election campaign in Florida. DeSantis in November defeated Democrat Charlie Crist by a landslide 19 percentage points to secure a second term.
The change at the campaign comes after weeks of campaign shake-ups, including the shedding of 38 positions in late July. Peck had come under fire from donors and pundits as financial reports showed the campaign spending rapidly while slipping in GOP polls. Meanwhile, DeSantis remains a distant second to Donald Trump in polls of Republican Primary voters.
But the DeSantis campaign stressed forward momentum, including staff additions in one early state.
The campaign hired David Polyansky, who previously worked for U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa as a campaign strategist, to help the campaign in Iowa. The state will hold the first-in-the-nation caucuses for the GOP presidential nomination, and DeSantis’ campaign has focused significant energy on the Hawkeye State. Polyansky previously worked for the Never Back Down super PAC supporting DeSantis.
“David Polyansky will also be a critical addition to the team given his presidential campaign experience in Iowa and work at Never Back Down,” Romeo said. “We are excited about these additions as we continue to spread the Governor’s message across the country. It’s time to reverse our nation’s decline and revive America’s future.”
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