Gov. Ron DeSantis is replacing his campaign manager as he continues to retool a struggling presidential campaign that trails far behind former President Donald Trump in the polls.
James Uthmeier, who has served as chief of staff in the governor’s office, is taking over as campaign manager from Generra Peck, according to the DeSantis campaign. Peck is staying with the campaign as chief strategist.
The shakeup, which was first reported by The Messenger, is the latest in a series of campaign overhauls. DeSantis has cut staff twice to rein in spending that was rapidly depleting the campaign account.
Peck led DeSantis’ reelection campaign to a dominating win last year by 19 percentage points but has come under fire as the governor slides in the polls. Just 15% of GOP primary voters back DeSantis in the Real Clear Politics average of national polls, down from 31% in late March.
Uthmeier is considered a close and trusted adviser of the governor but doesn’t have campaign experience.
“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 DeSantis Communications director Andrew Romeo.
In addition to bringing on Uthmeier to run the campaign, DeSantis hired Iowa GOP operative David Polyansky as deputy campaign manager.
Polyansky has considerable campaign experience, having worked on the 2016 presidential bids of Scott Walker and Ted Cruz. He also worked as Cruz’s chief of staff in the Senate and recently as an advisor to the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down.
“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.”
Uthmeier, 35, has worked for DeSantis since shortly after he first won the governor’s office in 2018, first as deputy general counsel and then as general counsel before becoming chief of staff. He has been deeply involved in the governor’s aggressive approach to conservative policymaking in Florida.
Alex Kelly, DeSantis’ former deputy chief of staff before taking over as Department of Commerce secretary, will become acting chief of staff while Uthmeier takes an unpaid leave of absence from the governor’s office.
Peck has been in the hot seat for weeks as the campaign’s finances and failure to make headway in the polls came under scrutiny. Some donors and other DeSantis allies have been calling for new campaign leadership.