Matt Rourke, AP
Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign announced Tuesday that campaign manager Generra Peck is out and will be replaced with his longtime chief of staff James Uthmeier, according to The Messenger, which first reported the news. Peck will be moved to the chief strategist position.
“People have written Governor DeSantis’s obituary many times,” Uthmeier said in a written statement to The Messenger. “From his race against establishment primary candidate Adam Putnam, to his victory over legacy media-favored candidate Andrew Gillum [in 2018], to his twenty point win over Charlie Crist [in 2022], Governor DeSantis has proven that he knows how to win. He’s breaking records on fundraising and has a supporting super PAC with $100 million in the bank and an incredible ground game. Get ready.”
“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,” communications director Andrew Romeo said in a statement.
“Governor DeSantis is running one of the most aggressive early state campaigns in modern history,” Peck said. “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 joins David Polyansky, an experienced Iowa operative who boasts of never losing a Republican presidential primary in the first-in-the-nation caucus state. Polyansky currently serves as an adviser to Never Back Down, the pro-DeSantis super PAC that reportedly has nearly $100 million cash on hand.
This news comes as part of the latest shakeup of the DeSantis campaign. It is important to note, however, that these types of shakeups aren’t unusual. The Trump campaign went through several shakeups during the 2015-2016 campaign, including firing top adviser, Roger Stone, in the first.
