Washington • It has been one month since former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman announced his presidential campaign. Maybe he should ask for a do-over.

Despite a rash of news media mentions, dashes to early primary states and a fully loaded campaign machine, Huntsman still hovers around 1 percent in polls and hasn't yet generated the voter interest his competitors are nabbing.

To combat possible stagnation, Huntsman on Thursday named a new campaign manager, and his top strategist said Team Huntsman would launch a more aggressive effort to drive up support.

"Clearly, after the initial round of positive press, the campaign did not go in the direction they wanted," said Doug Heye, a Washington-based Republican consultant who is not affiliated with any presidential campaign. "Today's moves signal to supporters, potential supporters and outside observers that the campaign smartly recognized the need for a course correction."

Susan Wiles, a Florida strategist who ran Huntsman's rollout, said Thursday she was stepping down and the camp's communication director, Matt David, a former top aide to then-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, would take over as campaign manager.

Huntsman's chief strategist, John Weaver, said the campaign was shifting into "phase two, which will be more aggressive from a messaging and tactical standpoint."

"Susie has served the campaign well and was vital in getting it off the ground in such a short time frame," Weaver said. "In just under three months, Governor Huntsman has returned from China, launched a campaign and created a strong infrastructure in the three early primary states."

Weaver added that Huntsman has built relationships with donors as well as political, policy and grass-roots leaders that other candidates have been chasing for five years.

Huntsman mopped up media attention after resigning as President Barack Obama's ambassador to China, but his national and early state polls have yet to see any bump from his announcement or subsequent campaigning.

Wiles, who ran Florida Gov. Rick Scott's campaign in 2010, was based at Huntsman's Orlando headquarters. Her husband, former Ronald Reagan advance man Lanny Wiles, has routinely traveled with Huntsman during the campaign.

The New York Times, citing anonymous sources, said there was friction between Weaver and Susan Wiles.

In a statement to The Miami Herald, Wiles said she was leaving the campaign to "resume my life and get home."

"It was just time," she said. "It was in my plans to resign at some point. I have a great life and a great situation. We launched this thing, and it's up and running. Our team is so good that we hired from within. I continue to have a role here. I intend to be friend and confidante of Huntsman."

Wiles is the first senior campaign staffer to leave Huntsman's campaign.

tburr@sltrib.com