With no clear frontrunner in the Republican field it is not surprising to see political support shifting, but New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was likely stung to lose his former campaign manager Joseph M. Kyrillos, says GOP operative Karl Rove.
Kyrillos has moved his support to Christie's likely presidential rival and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush,
it was reported on Tuesday.
The news was particularly tough because Kyrillos, a New Jersey state senator, and Christie have been friends for two decades, Rove said.
"Joe Kyrillos is a problem for Gov. Christie because they were close," Rove said.
Kyrillos likely told Christie about his shift in support in advance, Rove said. Kyrillos has donated $10,000 to Bush's political action committee in March.
Christie is trailing in the GOP presidential polls, and his support at home is at 38 percent.
On the other side of the aisle, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has
lost the backing of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz to a likely rival, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.
Diaz backed Clinton in 2008 but said he and O'Malley are old friends from the days when O'Malley was mayor of Baltimore.
Rove said that defection isn't as big a deal to Clinton.
Diaz and O'Malley have a friendship, and "sometimes those kind of things matter," Rove said.