The chairman of essentially the most highly effective unbiased group supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ presidential ambitions has resigned, marking the second major departure at the pro-DeSantis Never Back Down super PAC in the last two weeks.
Never Back Down Chairman Adam Laxalt, the former Nevada attorney general and a close DeSantis confidant, submitted his resignation on Sunday, according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Associated Press on Friday. The New York Times first reported Laxalt’s choice.
“Effective immediately, I am resigning from the Board of Directors of Never Back Down. After nearly 26 straight months of being in a full scale campaign, I need to return my time and attention to my family and law practice,” Laxalt wrote to the tremendous PAC board. “I will continue to support Governor DeSantis in whatever ways I can, and I hope and pray that his campaign will be successful.”
Last week, the tremendous PAC’s chief government, Chris Jankowski, additionally resigned.
The strikes come as DeSantis struggles to redirect his stagnant presidential marketing campaign, which has fallen far in need of expectations. The 45-year-old Florida governor entered the 2024 GOP main this spring because the chief rival to former President Donald Trump. Now, he’s locked in a fierce contest for a distant second place with former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley as Iowa’s make-or-break presidential caucuses loom simply six weeks away.
The departures mark a darkish chapter for the tremendous PAC, which launched earlier this 12 months with greater than $80 million in seed cash.
Without Laxalt and Jankowski, Never Back Down‘s board is now largely under the control of longtime DeSantis loyalists. At the same time, another super PAC led by DeSantis loyalists just launched a new super PAC, Fight Right, which is focused on fueling DeSantis‘ television advertising.
Never Back Down will continue to focus on DeSantis‘ get-out-the-vote efforts, according to a memo sent to donors earlier this week by campaign manager James Uthmeier that described the campaign entering the final weeks of the year “in very strong form.” Uthmeier promoted both Never Back Down and Fight Right in the memo, noting that 100% of Fight Right’s proceeds can be spent on tv promoting.
“As Donald Trump and Nikki Haley work side-by-side spending tens of millions of dollars to attack Ron DeSantis, Fight Right’s emergence provides welcomed air support,” Uthmeier wrote. “In the final push for the Iowa Caucus victory, this campaign will proudly fight alongside NBD’s impressive ground game, and Fight Right’s television team, to show the people of Iowa that this is a time for choosing, and Ron DeSantis is the candidate that can WIN!”
Federal legislation doesn’t enable formal campaigns and out of doors teams to coordinate immediately. DeSantis spokesman Andrew Romeo mentioned earlier this week that it was “totally false” to claim that DeSantis coordinated any marketing campaign technique with the tremendous PACs.
Still, DeSantis is counting on each tremendous PACs to play important capabilities within the weeks forward.
• Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa, and Price reported from New York.
