Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is supplanting campaign manager Generra Peck as he revises his 2024 presidential bid.
Now running the campaign is James Uthmeier, the governor’s chief of staff.
Ms. Peck will stay on as chief campaign strategist, according to The Messenger, which first reported the change.
Polls show Mr. DeSantis as former President Donald Trump’s biggest competition for the Republican nomination.
The governor has a string of endorsements from state leaders and congressional lawmakers, though he’s struggled to catch fire with voters and trails Mr. Trump by double digits in early polling.
Mr. DeSantis has been altering his operation for weeks. He’s cut staff and broadened his media outreach by sitting down with mainstream networks instead of only conservative outlets.
Some pundits say Mr. DeSantis can gain momentum with a strong showing in Iowa, where evangelicals have bristled at Mr. Trump at times.
For now, the former president is relishing his front-runner status and posting polls that show him with massive leads over the rest of the field.
Mr. DeSantis recently told NBC News that “of course” Mr. Trump lost the 2020 election because President Biden is sitting in the White House.
The governor also says he will execute key promises that Mr. Trump made in 2016 but failed to deliver, including a completed border wall.
At the same time, he’s been careful to aim his toughest barbs at Mr. Biden and criticized the Justice Department for seeking a federal trial of Mr. Trump in Washington, where the jury pool is overwhelmingly liberal.
The first GOP debate on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee will give Mr. DeSantis a chance to advance in the race.
However, it’s unclear if he will be able to go toe-to-toe with Mr. Trump. The ex-president hasn’t said whether he will show up.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.