A new substantial departure has occurred within the primary super PAC endorsing the presidential campaign of Ron DeSantis.

Adam Laxalt, a former roommate and close friend of the Florida governor, has tendered his resignation as chairman of the organization, as The New York Times reported.

Laxalt, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for senator in Nevada in 2022, was a former roommate of DeSantis' during his naval officer training.

In April, shortly after the conclusion of his own campaign and prior to DeSantis' official entry into the presidential race, he became a member of Never Back Down.

This action was interpreted broadly as an attempt by Mr. DeSantis and his wife to appoint a reliable individual to oversee the operations of the heavily funded organization.

“After nearly 26 straight months of being in a full-scale campaign, I need to return my time and attention to my family and law practice,” Mr. Laxalt wrote in a letter to the board on Nov. 26 that was reviewed by The New York Times. He said in the note that he was still committed to Mr. DeSantis’s becoming president.

This is the second significant split from Never Back Down in the previous two weeks. Just before Thanksgiving, the group’s chief executive, Chris Jankowski, resigned.

Jankowski stated, without further elaboration, in a statement issued by the group subsequent to his resignation, that his disagreements with the group extended "well beyond" strategic arguments.

The email announcing the replacement of Jankowski with Kristin Davison, who had previously served as the chief operating officer, was delivered by Laxalt that evening.

“We look forward to hitting the ground running with all of you after the holiday,” Mr. Laxalt wrote.

With just weeks to go before the Iowa caucuses, DeSantis campaign associates pushed for the formation of an independent organization named Fight Right to counter negative attacks on South Carolina's former governor, Nikki Haley, who is his main opponent in the nomination race.

Fight Right was founded in November by three Floridians who were allies of the governor, and the DeSantis campaign has welcomed it.

James Uthmeier, the campaign manager for Mr. DeSantis, detailed his vision for a division of labor between the two organizations in a memo dated Monday.

The campaign manager for Mr. DeSantis, James Uthmeier, detailed his plans for the two organizations' respective roles in a Monday memo. Uthmeier said that Fight Right would be in charge of airing television advertising, while Never Back Down would keep doing door-to-door canvassing.