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Julian Castro Lays Off New Hampshire and South Carolina Teams: Report

The two state teams were reportedly notified Monday, and their last day will be next week.

Julian Castro plans to lay off his New Hampshire and South Carolina staffers, according to Politico. An official familiar with the campaign said that the state teams were notified Monday and their last day will be next week. Politico reports that the campaign will refocus its efforts in Iowa and Nevada before the first primaries and caucuses begin early next year. Castro’s move comes after Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) also shook up her team to focus entirely on Iowa, and former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke ended his presidential bid on Friday. To be on the next debate stage, Castro needs to hit 3 percent in four polls approved by the Democratic National Committee or 5 percent in DNC-approved early-state surveys. Castro hasn’t qualified in a poll yet, but he has until Nov. 13 to qualify for the Nov. 20 debate.