DeSantis names James Uthmeier as 2024 campaign manager, formerly chief of staff
Eric Daugherty contributed to this report.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign continued its shakeup, selecting former DeSantis Chief of Staff James Uthmeier as its next campaign manager.
First reported by TheMessenger, Uthmeier will replace outgoing campaign manager Generra Peck. Peck will reportedly continue as the campaign’s chief strategist.
Uthmeier told the outlet that people have written DeSantis’ “obituary many times.”
“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,” Uthmeier said.
“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,” he continued.
Alex Kelley will reportedly serve as acting chief of staff to take over for Uthmeier in the Executive Office of the Governor.
In July, the campaign reportedly shrunk its payroll by a third as the governor aims for the White House. It amounted to nearly 38 jobs being let go.
At the time, the campaign said the aggressive steps were meant to “streamline operations.”
The DeSantis campaign has faced skepticism since its late-May launch, critics primely pointing to sagging poll numbers.
DeSantis responded to “naysayers” about his presidential campaign in a Fox News appearance last week, pointing to his past “political success.”
“I don’t think anyone is running on our side that’s had as much political success as me,” DeSantis said. “We’ve won big elections throughout my career, including the best Republican governor victory in the history of the state of Florida.”
“The naysayers have always hit me, Harris, for my entire time as governor,” DeSantis noted. “People wrote me off during COVID because I was taking strong stands against people like Fauci, but we lead and we deliver results, and that’s why we’ve been successful.”
“We’ll continue to be successful in this campaign.”
