It’s no secret that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R-Fla.) campaign for president hasn’t made quite the splash that his most ardent supporters expected. As a result of the disappointing start to the DeSantis 2024 movement, his campaign is promising some changes in direction.
Politico reports that campaign officials spoke with some donors over the weekend to talk about the shifts that the DeSantis team is taking after the first few weeks of the governor’s bid for the White House. Among the changes in approach that the campaign is making is spending more wisely — arguably one of the biggest concerns for donors — and making DeSantis more accessible on the campaign trail.
“Appearing before around 70 of the campaign’s top contributors at the Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley, Utah, DeSantis’ campaign manager Generra Peck said money had been spent on operations that had turned out to be ineffective and that the campaign would move to a leaner, ‘insurgent’ posture going forward,” write’s Politico’s Alex Isenstadt.
Peck didn’t lay out specifics of new strategies to the donors and lobbyists in attendance, but Isenstadt writes that “she indicated that everything would be on the table.” The DeSantis campaign has shed some staff members in recent weeks, including two key staffers who are shifting to pro-DeSantis efforts outside of the campaign apparatus.
Sunday’s event was part of a weekend-long retreat that included strategy sessions and dinners to honor contributors to the campaign. Attendees told Isenstadt that the retreat solidified Peck’s place at the head of the campaign even as Team DeSantis addressed concerns about tactics and spending.
“The important thing that everyone realized here is the first family has complete faith in Generra and the team,” one attendee said. “The team is going to continue to evaluate the direction, be nimble, make changes as necessary. But the team is solidly behind her, the donors are solidly behind her. And this insurgent campaign that’s being run is going to allow us to be more efficient going forward.”
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“DeSantis has been criticized for running a campaign that has shunned the mainstream media and relied on a bloated team of 90-plus staffers, which has drained the campaign’s coffers,” Isenstadt reports. “Attendees said Peck told the group that the governor planned to run more as an outsider, doing more media and smaller events.”
Campaign insiders touted DeSantis’ recent CNN interview with Jake Tapper and suggested that more mainstream media opportunities may follow. Staffers also discussed the idea that the governor may release more policy statements soon.
“Let Ron be Ron,” lobbyist and fundraiser Nick Iarossi said. “That’s what got him here. That’s what made him the leader that he is in Florida. We’re going back to our basics on all of this.”
There’s plenty of time for DeSantis and his team to turn the campaign around. There are enough GOP voters who are looking for a Trump alternative, and with the right strategy, he could capture those voters. Watch this space; you know we’ll be keeping an eye on what the 2024 Republican hopefuls are up to.
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