Grayson campaign losing three staffers

by Ben Kamisar - 12/01/15 4:32 PM ET

Three key staffers on Rep. Alan Grayson’s insurgent bid for Florida’s open Senate seat are leaving the campaign, a source familiar with the campaign confirmed.

Campaign manager Doug Dodson left the campaign on Monday, while David Keith, the deputy campaign manager, will leave day-to-day operations but remain in the loop as an unofficial adviser. Senior advisor Kevin Franck plans to leave the campaign by the end of the year.

“Staffing changes are normal in the course of a campaign,” the source told The Hill, adding that the departures are mutual.

{mosads}“As we approach the start of a new year, we will begin to add staff and some of the people who were critical to the launch of Rep. Grayson’s campaign will transition into other roles, or move on to other opportunities.”

The Miami Herald first reported the shake-up, which comes amid reports that Grayson met with an ethics investigator last month over accusations related to his hedge funds.

Grayson’s team still has nine months before the primary; while Florida’s presidential primary is in March, the primary for other seats is in August. He’s drawn the ire of establishment Democrats for his fiery rhetoric and some have posed questions of his electability. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee endorsed fellow Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Fla.) in the primary over Grayson, and most of the state’s establishment support has followed.

Grayson has a reputation as a prolific online fundraiser, but Murphy has almost $3.5 million in cash on hand compared to Grayson’s about $250,000 cash on hand, according to the latest Federal Election Commission data through September. Grayson’s campaign also reports almost $2.5 million in debt, while Murphy’s does not report any debt.

The race to fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Marco Rubio’s presidential bid is seen as a toss-up. Vying for the Republican nomination are Reps. David Jolly and Ron DeSantis, Lt. Gov. Carlos López-Cantera and businessman Todd Wilcox.

A September poll from Public Policy Polling found Grayson with a 6-percentage-point edge, but there has not been newer polling over the last few months, according to a RealClearPolitics’ aggregation of polling.

Tags Alan Grayson Marco Rubio