Jeb Bush, once afront-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, is implementing an across- the-board pay cut for hisstruggling campaign as heattempts to regain traction just100 days beforethe partys first nominating contest.
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Bush, the former governor of Florida, picked up the endorsement of three Alabama lawmakers this week in his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
Despite financial and organizational advantages, Bush has struggled to break out of a crowded Republican field so far dominated by unorthodox candidates, including billionaire Donald Trump and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Only about 25 percent of campaign staff will remain in Florida.
Jeb Bush’s campaign is taking the opportunity to raise a few fresh cash, starting with a breakfast Monday morning at the Houston Hilton Americas headlined by Jeb Bush and his wife, Columba.
The moves will reduce the campaign’s payroll by 40 percent, while also cutting travel costs by 20 percent and eliminating extraneous overhead spending. And now, dropping in polls and cash, the Republican’s campaign is set to make across-the-board cuts just to stay afloat until GOP primary votes begin in February. Many said they were eager to see Bush be more assertive and forceful in debates, in his TV ads and at campaign appearances. Bush said bullying is not the way to the White House. After spending the summer and fall atop the Republican field, Trump appears to be losing ground in Iowa to Carson, an untested politician with a penchant for provocative comments about Muslims and the Holocaust.
Officials also suggested that by shifting staff out of Miami, Bush can make more and longer trips to New Hampshire, as well as Iowa, South Carolina and Nevada.
But interviews with supporters in early states reveal concerns that extend far beyond the campaign’s allocation of resources.
Bush aides say they’ve been trying to do just that, with both the campaign and Right to Rise super PAC blanketing the airwaves with advertisements.
While Bush used his stage time to promote his campaign, on several occasions, he made veiled references to Trump, who in recent months has been a vocal Bush critic. The idea is to refocus resources in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, not coincidentally the first four states to hold primaries. His campaign was bloated with too many staffers and high salaries – which contributed to his early exit.
Bush announced last week that his third-quarter fund-raising was $13.4 million, a competitive sum but not enough to finance the large campaign operation he had built.
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The staff deployments from Miami will have a special focus on increasing the Bush presence in New Hampshire.
