Ron DeSantis hopes to get a key lift for his presidential bid on Monday night by way of a reported endorsement from Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) of Iowa, the state holding the first GOP nominating contest of 2024.
Multiple outlets including The Associated Press reported on the eve of a rally in Des Moines that Reynolds would back DeSantis, a fellow GOP governor from Florida. The pair have appeared together on the campaign trail.
“The endorsement would break with the tradition of the governor of the Hawkeye State remaining neutral ahead of its caucuses,” The Hill’s Jared Gans noted.
Former President Trump responded to the endorsement news on Truth Social, saying “it will be the end of [Reynolds’s] political career in that MAGA would never support her again, just as MAGA will never support DeSanctimonious again.”
With his poll numbers plummeting throughout the year, the DeSantis campaign shifted focus — and a third of its staff — to Iowa last month in hopes of a strong performance in the Jan. 15 caucuses. The Florida governor launched a tour of all 99 counties in the state.
RealClearPolitics’s averages from a few recent Iowa polls show DeSantis in second with 18 percent and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley third with 13 percent. Trump leads with 48 percent.
The big question: Will the governor’s endorsement give the DeSantis campaign the shot in the arm it is seeking heading into January?
An August NBC/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll showed 81 percent of likely GOP caucus-goers had a favorable view of Reynolds. However, an October Morning Consult poll showed Reynolds with a disapproval rating of 47 percent — the highest in the country — and up since early 2023.
COMING UP: DeSantis will be center stage in Miami for the third GOP presidential primary debate on Wednesday.
