ORLANDO, Fla. – Most of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ public stops have been on the campaign trail outside Florida, but Wednesday he returned to Orlando as his efforts began a reboot.
The governor touted the strength of the Sunshine State at a conference at the JW Marriott.
He spoke about Florida’s robust economy and hit on education and what has been done in the state Legislature.
It’s a familiar message from DeSantis and one he’s repeated, despite some struggles.
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According to reports earlier this week, DeSantis has cut about a third of his campaign staff to stay financially strong.
News 6 spoke with Dr. Sandra Pavelka, a political science professor at Florida Gulf Coast University, about the moves DeSantis is making on the campaign trail.
“He is presently laying off a good amount of his campaign staff,” Pavelka said. “He’s trailing by more than 20 points in any of the recent polls. He’s also struggling with campaign fundraising.”
Pavelka said the gap continues to widen between the Florida governor and former President Donald Trump in polls, but added there’s still hope for the DeSantis campaign.
Last month, as he hit the campaign trail hard in early primary states, DeSantis received endorsements from 15 South Carolina lawmakers.
“I think DeSantis, and obviously his wife Casey, have been really hitting the campaign trail pretty hard. They’ve been looking to connect with potential voters and have been really good about hitting strategic areas,” Pavelka said.
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