Ron DeSantis has brought in top Republican strategist Jeff Roe, which gives it a boost as the battle between DeSantis and the former President Donald Trump heats up.
Sources familiar with the plans said Roe is joining Never Back Down PAC. The super PAC was launched this month by Ken Cuccinelli, a Trump administration official who has defected for the 2024 race and is playing a major role in laying the groundwork for DeSanti's widely anticipated White House bid.
Jeff Roe and the Axiom team have the experience, know-how, and the resources needed to elect the next president of the United States, a source close to Never Back Down PAC said. If DeSantis announces he is running, Roe's team will make a difference in getting him to overtake Trump in the primary. The news was first reported by Politico.
The DeSantis team didn't want to comment on this article.
Roe is a hot commodity in the GOP world. He is the founder of Axiom Strategies and is best known for Glenn Youngkin's unlikely victory in the Virginia governor's race. Youngkin, who hasn't yet indicated one way or another, is rumored to be a possible 2024 hopeful.
In 2016 Roe ran the presidential campaign of Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and led him to victory in the Iowa caucuses, giving him some experience in running a race against Trump.
Roe joins a sought-after consultant at a critical time. DeSantis has been doing events nationwide, promoting his book and speaking in early voting states. But he has also started to face criticism and questions from his own party about his responses to multiple issues - from Trump's potential indictment to Ukraine to slipping poll numbers.