Scott Walker offers DeSantis advice after campaign comparisons: Go lean and bold
Julia Johnson
Video Embed
Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker had some advice for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) after his campaign drew comparisons to Walker’s failed 2016 Republican primary effort.
“Two big things they need to focus on: going lean and going bold,” he said on America’s Newsroom. “By lean, I mean, even though he had a great second quarter in terms of fundraising, actually even outpaced the Trump campaign, the fact is they’re burning up a fair amount of that money.”
LAROSE LEADS REPUBLICANS IN RACE TO CHALLENGE OHIO SEN. SHERROD BROWN, POLL SAYS
Walker was considered a front-runner early in the 2016 Republican contest but began to falter quickly by the start of the fall of 2015. Before ending his campaign that September, reports had begun to swirl of drama among his staff and growing impatience from disappointed donors.
DeSantis’s somewhat stagnant position in national polls, coupled with reports of staffing shake-ups and donor worries, drew comparisons of his operation to the failed 2016 campaign.
iFrame Object
According to Scott, the Florida governor needs to shift focus to small-dollar donors because the high-end contributors will begin to hit their maximums.
“I know this firsthand — having a great track record as governor is not enough, particularly when you go head-to-head with someone like Donald Trump,” he said.
In fact, Walker said giving good performances at voter events isn’t enough and that he needs to “light a fire with primary and caucus voters with some really bold ideas.”
DeSantis is polling at 20% among likely Republican primary voters, per Morning Consult. He is behind only former President Donald Trump, with 55%.
Last week, the Florida governor dismissed concerns over stagnation in national polls. “I think that they’ve tried to create a narrative that somehow the race is over,” he said on Fox Business.
“This is going to be a state-by-state contest,” he explained. “We’ve worked really hard to build the type of organization in places like Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina that you need to actually be able to win these early [nominating] contests. And we’re gonna continue doing that. We got a lot of work, but we’ve had a very, very favorable response.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
New polling in the early primary state of New Hampshire showed a 5-point backslide from Trump, while DeSantis held steady. In the new poll, DeSantis is just 14 points from Trump.
In Iowa, a pro-DeSantis PAC is hoping to capitalize on a series of missteps by Trump. The PAC released a new ad this week highlighting Trump’s attack on widely favored Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA). Some GOP strategists have predicted this move will haunt Trump in the state.