Kamala Harris cuts entire New Hampshire field team

[left-of-center2012]

CBS News has learned that Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is cutting all of her field organizers in New Hampshire and all three field offices in the Granite State, according to campaign aides. The number of staff cuts is in the "double digits," with more than half of her New Hampshire staff being laid off.

-- skip--

Multiple New Hampshire state officials speaking on the condition of anonymity because of their official roles expressed surprise upon learning Harris' scale-down. Sources unanimously referred to it as a "bad sign" for the California lawmaker's campaign, given the crowded 2020 field.

The California senator will not be visiting New Hampshire next week to file for the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primaries in person on November 6 and 7, as originally planned. Harris' team is likely to mail in her declaration of candidacy, a break from the traditional walk-in filing by candidates.

-- skip--

Secretary of State Bill Gardner says showing up in person at the State House is not mandatory under state law. "It does generate publicity," Gardner told CBS News. "It's just part of the ritual. It's not required." But the secretary ... told CBS News he could not remember a major presidential candidate who did not send a surrogate or appear in person during the filing period. "The lesser known candidates, a lot of them file by mail," Gardner recalled to CBS News.

"It's crazy," a New Hampshire Democratic political operative told CBS News. "She is literally mailing it in."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kamala-harris-2020-harris-cuts-entire-new-hampshire-field-team/

[left-of-center2012]

1. Will she be the next to drop out?

[customerserviceguy]

5. By Thanksgiving, I predict. n/t

[Kaleva]

2. E-mail I and other supporters recieved about the campaign reorganization

" TO: Kamala Harris for the People Team, Supporters, & Interested Parties
FROM: Juan Rodriguez, Campaign Manager
MEMO: Next Steps & Organization Realignment

With fewer than 100 days until the Iowa Caucus and in a competitive resources environment, we are implementing an organizational realignment to go all-in on Iowa.

Since the launch of the campaign, Kamala Harris and this team has raised more than $35 million from over 350,000 donors, with an average contribution of $34. We ended the last quarter with the fourth most cash on hand, and continue to receive endorsements and grassroots support across the country. However, in a field of 18 candidates, we face an incredibly competitive resource environment. To effectively compete with the top campaigns and make the necessary investments in the critical final 100 days to the caucus, we need to reduce expenditures elsewhere and realign resources.

From the beginning of this campaign, Kamala Harris and this team set out with one goal - to win the nomination and defeat Donald Trump in 2020. This requires us to make difficult strategic decisions and make clear priorities, not threaten to drop out or deploy gimmicks. Plenty of winning primary campaigns, like John Kerry’s in 2004 and John McCain’s in 2008, have had to make tough choices on their way to the nomination, and this is no different.

Reduction in HQ expenditures to bolster Iowa investments: First, to reduce campaign expenditures, I will take a pay cut along with all consultants, we will trim and renegotiate contracts, and we will also reduce the size of our headquarters staff. These decisions are difficult but will ensure the campaign is positioned to execute a robust Iowa ground game and a minimum 7-figure paid media campaign in the weeks leading up to the caucus.

Deployment of staff to Iowa: Second, in the coming weeks, we will deploy many field staff from New Hampshire, Nevada, and California and some staff from headquarters to Iowa for the home stretch of the caucus campaign. The South Carolina operation will remain in full force and will not change. These moves will increase the number of field organizers and staff we have on the ground in the first contest and give our campaign the organizational muscle needed to compete in every precinct.

Kamala all-in on Iowa: In the month of October, no candidate spent more time in Iowa than Kamala -- she made 5 trips and spent 15 days in the Hawkeye State -- about 10 more days than any other candidate. In November, she will continue to spend significant time in Iowa, including spending Thanksgiving there, to meet caucus goers at town halls and in coffee shops, on farms and at dining room tables. She is determined to earn the support of every caucus goer she can in the next 96 days."

[aikoaiko]

3. Too bad. Kamala has grown on me.

And she seemed so much more comfortable campaigning after the 1st debate.

[Andy823]

4. She still has one open

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/01/politics/kamala-harris-closing-new-hampshire-offices/index.html

"Her Manchester headquarters will remain open, but the staff will be scaled back significantly, with only volunteers left to knock on doors and pass out literature."

Don't count her out yet.