Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry is no longer paying any of his staff.
The former Texas governor is facing low polling numbers and poor fundraising, which means “tough decisions have to be made in respect to both monetary and time-related resources,” spokesman Lucy Nashed said late Monday.
“Governor Perry remains committed to competing in the early states and will continue to have a strong presence in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina,” Nashed said in the statement. “The governor is also looking forward to his trips to South Carolina this Thursday and to Iowa next week.”
National Journal first reported that money has dried up for Perry’s South Carolina staff, but it quickly became clear that the funding issues were bigger than just that one state. According to Katon Dawson, Perry’s South Carolina state director, he and two other top Perry operatives in the state are among those who will continue working amid the pay freeze.
“Nothing has changed with South Carolina as far as the mission at hand of helping the governor become the nominee of the party. Nothing has changed,” Dawson said.
Perry’s campaign has raised only $1.1 million in the second quarter, meaning it will likely have to turn to his super PAC for money, which is better funded.
In addition to low money flow, Perry is also facing low polling numbers: He missed the main debate stage in last week’s first debate of the election cycle on Fox News.
Perry, the longest serving governor in Texas history, has repeatedly failed to crack the top 10 in national polls of the crowded 2016 Republican field. According to a RealClearPolitics average of polls, he is currently garnering 1.8 percent of support — enough support to land him in 11th place.
