Florida Governor Ron DeSantis began campaigning cuts just months before running for president, as he struggled to gain traction in the Republican primaries and lost to former President Donald J. Trump in several opinion polls.
The exact number of people given away by the DeSantis group is unclear, but a campaign aide said the number was less than 10. This development was previously reported by politics.
The layoffs are an ominous sign for the campaign. It also highlights the challenges Mr DeSantis faces both fundraising and his spending, at a time when several major donors who have expressed interest in him are increasingly concerned about his performance. grandfather.
An aide, Andrew Romeo, described the circumstances of the campaign in an upbeat tone.
“Americans are supporting Ron DeSantis and his plan to reverse the failures of Joe Biden and restore the soundness of our nation, and his momentum will only continue as voters electrify them. meet him more in person, especially in Iowa,” he said in a statement. “Defeating Joe Biden and $72 million behind him would require an agile and candidate-driven campaign, and we’re building a movement to go far.”
The race is still in its early days and previous campaigns have been reshuffled in the months before voting begins. Former Senator John McCain blasted his campaign in the summer of 2007 before winning the Republican nomination. Mr. Trump has gone through three iterations to successfully bid, though none came in the primaries. Several of DeSantis’ top fundraisers have said that the Florida governor will be involved in the long term, with a focus on the upcoming debates and election campaign starting in January.
But Mr. DeSantis’ disturbance came unusually early. And the fundraising numbers – filed on Saturday – show a campaign will need to make some adjustments, including travel schedules and staff size, if it plans to offset the momentum it has lost. loss began to fade a few months before Mr. DeSantis officially joined the species.
Mr. DeSantis’ struggle seems not only about the numbers but also about the campaign’s message. Last weekend, two top DeSantis advisers, Dave Abrams and Tucker Obenshain, were announced to be leaving to join an external team supporting Mr. DeSantis.
DeSantis’ campaign financial disclosures to the Federal Election Commission show he raised about $20 million but spent nearly $8 million, the so-called burn rate makes him had only $12 million in cash on hand. Only about $9 million of that cash could be spent in the primaries, with the rest going towards the general election if he is the candidate.
The record shows a surprisingly large staff for a campaign so early in the candidacy process, especially for a campaign with a super PAC that has shown just how much load it’s willing to handle. Over $1 million in expenses were listed as “payroll” and payroll processing.
DeSantis’ top spending includes $1.3 million for travel, including private jet charters. The campaign also spent more than $800,000 each on digital fundraising consulting, media bookings, and postage. The campaign also paid nearly $1 million to WinRed, the online donation processing company.
The recent Republican primaries were filled with examples of early popular candidates, followed by significant struggles. Scott Walker, governor of Wisconsin, dropped out of the presidential race in September 2015 when he debt piled up. Jeb Bush, one of Mr. DeSantis’ predecessors as governor of Florida and perhaps the man who attracted the most donors during the 2016 campaign, also began laying off payrolls amid the crisis. difficult scene, albeit very late in the race.
However, Mr. DeSantis’ allies note that he is leading more in the Iowa polls than Mr. Bush in the fall of 2015 and that he has more natural voters in Iowa than those in the polls. other challenge. The caucuses will be held on January 15, 2024, and that is the state where candidates seeking to bring down Mr. Trump must have a good result.
Rachel Shorey contributed reporting.
