TALLAHASSEE — Helen Aguirre Ferré, communications director for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, has been named executive director of the Republican Party of Florida, the governor's office said Thursday.
Ferré, who has served as the governor's top spokesperson since his January 2019 inauguration, will take on her new role ahead of the Republican National Convention, which will be held in Jacksonville beginning Aug. 25, said DeSantis Chief of Staff Shane Strum.
The move comes as President Donald Trump's re-election campaign falters under a worsening public health crisis and widespread anger over police violence against Blacks that has filled streets across the country with protesters. As executive director of the state party, Ferré, a former director of media affairs at the Trump White House, has the job of delivering the battleground of Florida to Trump in November.
Ferré will replace former state GOP Executive Director Peter O’Rourke, who left in March after seven months on the job. She will be responsible for for recruiting staff as Trump's campaign picks up in the next several weeks, Leon County GOP Chairman Evan Power said.
"Helen is extremely qualified to help lead our party, and adds to the growing talent pool helping our state party have success moving forward," Power said in a text message.
Ferré is leaving the governor's office amid a resurging outbreak of the coronavirus that has made Florida a global hot spot for infections. The Florida Department of Health reported a record-breaking 156 new deaths from Covid-19 on Wednesday and 13,837 new infections. At least 315,775 people in the state have tested positive for the virus since March, and 4,677 people have died.
A massive surge of infections began in early June, about a month after DeSantis began rolling back restrictions meant to slow the spread of the virus. His decision generated a firestorm of criticism and has raised questions about whether the governor has lost control of the state's response.
DeSantis has had a turbulent relationship with reporters and has made memorable mistakes during news briefings. On July 7, DeSantis and Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez appeared befuddled by a question about state Department of Health plans to hire contract tracers.
"It's hard to imagine someone less qualified to run the state party of the largest swing state in the country during the president's re-election than Helen," the consultant said. "Ron is making clear that he does not care about helping Trump get re-elected and only wants someone loyal to him at the party to lay the groundwork for his re-election in 2022."
Ferre and DeSantis have struggled to seize opportunities to repair the governor's image. Two Republican consultants who asked not to be identified because of their relationships with the party said they had little faith that Ferré could deliver in her new role.
One of them, a longtime DeSantis adviser, noted Ferré's lackluster tenure.
Ferré has "a pedigree with an attitude to match, but hasn't really exactly knocked the cover off the ball," the DeSantis adviser said.
Florida Department of Education Communications Director Taryn Fenske and state House Communications Director Fred Piccolo both are candidates to replace Ferré.
Fenske previously served as a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee during the 2018 midterm election. Piccolo was hired as the spokesman for former House Speaker Richard Corcoran in 2016. Piccolo has remained in that role under current Speaker Jose Oliva, who will step down as speaker later this year.
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