DeSantis transition team zeroes in on possible chief of staff

The transition team for Ron DeSantis has reportedly narrowed its search for a chief of staff to four names, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

DeSantis, who defeated Democrat Andrew Gillum in Florida’s gubernatorial race on Thursday, is reportedly considering lobbyists Kathy Mears and Scott Ross, as well as Scott Parkinson, who served as DeSantis’s chief of staff in Congress, and Shane Strum, former chief of staff to former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, the paper reported.

{mosads}Mears, a lobbyist for Florida State University, served as deputy chief of staff to Crist and the chief of staff to former state House Speaker Steve Crisafulli (R).

Mears tweeted Friday that her mother died of pancreatic cancer this week, making it unclear whether she would take the job if it is offered. She declined to comment to the paper.

My mom died of pancreatic cancer Monday – exactly one month after diagnosis. I will be in purple tomorrow- you bet I will. https://t.co/8wgmbtCN6U

— Kathy Mears (@MearKat00) November 16, 2018

Ross works for Capital City Consulting, a Tallahassee-based firm that helped DeSantis fundraise throughout the campaign. He has also served as the deputy secretary at the state’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation. 

Parkinson served as DeSantis’s chief of staff in Congress and is currently DeSantis’s deputy executive director of the transition. 

Strum, the former chief of staff to Crist, is also senior vice president of the South Broward Hospital District.

Strump and DeSantis’s transition team declined to comment to the paper.

Gillum has not conceded the bitter race for Florida’s next governor. The race remains to be called officially, but DeSantis’s victory seemed imminent following the results of a machine recount on Thursday.