Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is tapping James Uthmeier, the chief of staff in the Executive Office of the Governor, to take over the job of presidential campaign manager, according to the Messenger. The outlet also reported that Generra Peck, who had been serving as campaign manager, will serve as chief strategist with the campaign.
“Governor DeSantis is running one of the most aggressive early state campaigns in modern history,” Peck noted in a statement, according to the Messenger. “Our organization welcomes the best of the best and James is one of my closest colleagues and friends — we are better for his joining and providing day to day leadership. This team is built to last and built to win.”
Uthmeier will be on a “leave of absence” from the chief of staff post, a spokesperson for the governor noted, according to the New York Times.
“James Uthmeier has been one of Governor DeSantis’ top advisers 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,” DeSantis communications director Andrew Romeo said in a statement, according to reports.
The shakeup comes as former President Donald Trump maintains a massive lead over the rest of the GOP presidential primary pack and appears to be on course to easily clinch the Republican presidential nomination for a third consecutive election cycle. DeSantis, who decisively defeated the Democratic challenger during the Sunshine State’s 2022 gubernatorial election contest, remains in second place but far behind Trump.
“People have written Governor DeSantis’s obituary many times,” Uthmeier noted in a statement, according to the Messenger. But Uthmeier pointed to prior election victories while contending that “DeSantis has proven that he knows how to win.”
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