John Delaney shakes up presidential campaign staff

BALTIMORE (UPI) — Democratic presidential hopeful John Delaney announced a shakeup in his campaign staff Tuesday while he fights to qualify for the third round of primary debates in Houston in September.

The former U.S. representative from Maryland named his ex-chief of staff Xan Fishman as his new campaign manager and moved his previous manager, John Davis, to Iowa to lead efforts there. Fishman was Delaney’s deputy campaign manager before the move.

“Congressman Delaney will draw upon his unique and compelling biography as the only candidate in the race with significant private sector experience and federal public sector experience,” Delaney’s campaign said. “In the coming weeks, Delaney will draw a sharp contrast between his economic policies and those of both President [Donald] Trump and the rest of the Democratic field.”

Delaney, who participated in the first two Democratic primary debates, has yet to meet the higher standards set by the Democratic National Committee for the third round.

Julian Castro, former secretary of housing and urban development, announced Tuesday that he has qualified for the Houston debates Sept. 12-13 after receiving 2 percent support in a recent CNN poll conducted by the SSRS research firm. Castro had reached the other bar, collecting 130,000 donors, last month.

“Thank you to our growing number of supporters across the country,” Castro said in a Twitter message Tuesday, becoming the 10th candidate to make the upcoming debate requirements.

Those who have qualified for that debate include former Vice President Joe Biden; New Jersey Sen.Cory Booker; South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg; California Sen. Kamala Harris; Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar; former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas; Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders; Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren; and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.

CNN announced Monday that eight of qualifying debate candidates will take part in a climate crisis town hall on Sept. 4. Harris declined the offer citing a scheduling conflict. Castro was not mentioned as one of the candidates invited.

Reporting by Clyde Hughes