In a surprising move, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds plans to endorse Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for President on Monday officially.
The unexpected announcement breaks with precedent as the governor of Iowa typically does not endorse in the GOP primary race.
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But it’s far more common for Iowa’s high-profile political figures to take a hands-off approach. Grassley and others have pledged to remain neutral this cycle.
Reynolds, too, had initially ruled out endorsing anyone ahead of the Iowa Caucuses, saying she preferred to welcome the full slate of candidates into the state. But, more recently, she opened the door to the possibility.
Reynolds has suggested that she is too compelled by big national issues like inflation and border security to sit out an endorsement in the primary. “It’s just too important,” she said. “This next election is too important.”
The governor will endorse DeSantis at a pre-debate rally in Des Moines on Monday and then on Tuesday, she will do a meet-and-greet in Davenport with DeSantis. She then plans to fly to Miami to help fundraise for the DeSantis campaign around Wednesday’s RNC debate.
The chair of the Iowa Republican Party says the endorsement by Reynolds is a big one.
“I would say with a great deal of confidence that Kim Reynolds is the only person in the state of Iowa that could be a king or a queenmaker,” Republican Party of Iowa Chair Jeff Kaufmann previously told the Register. “There’s a lot of people who like to cast themselves as kingmaker because it helps them to push their organizations, but she’s the only one that could be.”
While speaking to reporters last month, DeSantis said that Reynolds’ endorsement would be a “huge get” for his campaign.
“I think what she’s been able to do in Iowa has really been a model for how people should govern,” DeSantis said. “Clearly, I think she could have a really significant impact. And I think any candidate running would be a fool not to want to have the support of Reynolds.”
DeSantis has courted Reynolds for months and has repeatedly defended her from attacks from Trump, who has accused Reynolds of being disloyal.
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