Bush slashes spending, shifts staff amid campaign woes

Associated Press

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush is drastically slashing campaign spending, including an across-the-board pay cut for staff, and focusing more narrowly on early states, as the one-time front-runner seeks to salvage his bid for the GOP nomination.

The moves will reduce the campaign’s payroll by 40 percent, while also cutting travel costs by 20 percent and eliminating extraneous overhead spending. Most campaign officials were told of the cost-cutting Friday.

The changes mark a significant setback for a campaign that spent months building a large operation, but there are no signs Bush is on the verge of withdrawing from the race.

During an event Friday at Regent University in Virginia, Bush said the moves will allow his campaign to operate “lean and mean” going forward. Asked whether the changes signaled trouble for his White House hopes, he said, “It means I have the ability to adapt.”

The former Florida governor – a son and brother of former presidents – has been under pressure from supporters to revamp his campaign as the early-voting contests draw closer. The first-to-vote Iowa caucuses take place 100 days from Friday.

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.

The changes predominantly impact staff at Bush’s Miami headquarters. Only about 25 percent of campaign staff will remain in Florida.