DeSantis super PAC rolls out layoffs after second-place finish in Iowa

A super PAC boosting Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) presidential bid began staff layoffs on Wednesday, two days after the Florida governor placed second in the Iowa Republican caucuses.

The layoffs, first reported by the New York Times, affected staffers from the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down in Iowa and Nevada — the third state on the GOP presidential nominating calendar. 

After the Iowa Republican caucuses wrapped up, Never Back Down planned to transfer some of the state’s staff to other early voting states and offered the rest pay through the end of the month, an official with the super PAC confirmed to the Washington Examiner. Never Back Down did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s inquiry regarding how many staffers were affected by the layoffs. 

“Never Back Down continues to host a slew of events on the ground for Gov. DeSantis in South Carolina, New Hampshire, and beyond aligned with our core mission of mobilizing grassroots field operations in those states,” Never Back Down CEO Scott Wagner said in a statement. 

“We’ve mobilized several members of our robust Iowa team over to the other early primary states to help in these efforts and will continue working to help elect Gov. DeSantis, the most effective conservative leader in the race, our next President,” Wagner said. 

After former President Donald Trump dominated the first GOP presidential contest in Iowa with 51%, DeSantis, who gathered 21%, is shifting his campaign operation to South Carolina — former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s home state. DeSantis’s campaign confirmed to the Washington Examiner on Wednesday afternoon that he is looking to increase his presence in the Granite State, where Trump leads lead. 

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With less than a week to the New Hampshire primary, DeSantis will make a couple of stops across the state before focusing on weakening Haley in her home state.

The Washington Examiner reached out to DeSantis’s campaign for comment.

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