Trump Goes All-in on Ground Game in Florida: 25 Offices, 200 Staff

SUNRISE, FL - AUGUST 10: Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee speaks during Republican Presidential

Donald Trump’s campaign is expanding operations in the key swing state of Florida where he’s roughly three points behind Hillary Clinton.

Following a meeting on Friday in Orlando between the Republican National Committee (RNC) and Trump campaign officials, Trump’s Florida strategist Karen Giorno told The Hill they plan to open 25 field offices and have more than 200 staff in the Sunshine State by Labor Day.

To date, Trump has only had one office in Florida – the campaign headquarters in Sarasota – and hasn’t yet aired any campaign ads.

However, according to Giorno, the campaign has 67 county chairs who are “actively [producing] Trump events and Trump activities weekly that contribute to voter registration drives.”

In contrast, Clinton’s campaign already has 14 field offices in Florida and has spent more than $20 million on advertising in Florida, according to NBC News.

Despite Clinton’s head start, Giorno believes Trump will win the state.

“We have a mixture of voters, which is why we’re going to win the election,” Giorno explained. “We have Democrats; we have Independents; we have Republicans; we have first-time voters.

“We have a movement and we have enthusiasm. They don’t,” she added.

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