DeSantis pushes for Iowa momentum, continues 99 county swing

DES MOINES, Iowa (FLV) – Off a busy campaign weekend at the Iowa State Fair, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign touted his “hard work [paying] off” in the first presidential caucusing state.

The governor engaged with Iowans over the weekend at the fair, speaking to a crowd with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, interacting with local businesses, and was accompanied by Iowa lawmakers in a bid to show strong state-level support as the presidential primary continues.

In an email, DeSantis’ campaign said the governor has visited a total of 38 counties in Iowa so far, with plans to visit all 99, a swing praised by Reynolds at the state fair.

“I know that he is doing the 99 county tour and he’s showing up in rural Iowa,” Reynolds said. “He’s talking to voters. He’s listening to voters. He’s talking about his vision and that’s a really good thing to do.”

One notable figure from DeSantis’ Iowa efforts came from Never Back Down, a super PAC supporting DeSantis’ bid for president, announcing over 10,000 Iowa voters have pledged to caucus for the Sunshine State’s governor.

For perspective, in 2016, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, won the caucus with 51,666 votes, followed by former President Donald Trump’s 45,429.

DeSantis’ campaign also bragged of receiving 120 county-level chairs’ endorsements over the weekend.

Additionally, Steve Deace, a conservative commentator based in Iowa, officially endorsed the governor after months of observing DeSantis’ rise to national prominence. DeSantis’ campaign noted that Deace endorsed the ultimate Iowa caucus winners in 2008 with Mike Huckabee, and 2016 with Cruz.

Winning Iowa could be a pivotal moment for DeSantis’ 2024 national prospects. While the state only holds 40 delegates, Iowa’s early voting position can serve as a symbol of momentum for proceeding primary states like New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, later into Super Tuesday.

For a campaign like DeSantis’, which for months has polled behind Trump’s on both the national and state levels across a variety of polls, winning Iowa could serve as a new sign of strength and viability, but losing it could signify to voters and donors that the likelihood of Trump clinching the nomination has all but solidified.