DES MOINES — The narrative surrounding the presidential campaign of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has mostly been negative: He’s often described as lacking people skills, his campaign operation has been disorganized, and he has experienced a decline in popularity.
While these criticisms hold some truth, they do not fully capture the overall picture of DeSantis as a candidate. Over the weekend, as attention focused on Iowa and he competed for attention with former President Donald Trump at the Iowa State Fair, there were reminders of why DeSantis remains Trump’s primary rival for the nomination, despite trailing behind.
Iowa state Rep. Tom Moore, who was previously a Trump supporter but now backs DeSantis, offered a measured yet positive assessment of the governor’s campaign. He acknowledged that things were rough at the beginning but believes that DeSantis has evolved into a more polished candidate over time.
However, DeSantis still faces significant challenges. In the past week, he replaced his campaign manager and made other staff changes, which followed weeks of bad press and financial difficulties. These setbacks have raised doubts about his ability to pose a threat to Trump and have opened up opportunities for other candidates to gain traction.
Despite these obstacles, some of DeSantis' supporters in Iowa believe that personnel issues are not a major concern for voters. They argue that many campaigns go through similar growing pains and that DeSantis has the ability to assemble a strong team.
Amidst the negative coverage, DeSantis received some positive news at the end of the week. His super PAC, responsible for the campaign's ground operation and voter turnout efforts, announced that they now have coordinators in all 99 counties in Iowa. This is an important milestone in building an organization capable of delivering voters on caucus night in January. Additionally, DeSantis is making progress towards his goal of campaigning in all 99 counties.
On Friday, DeSantis received an endorsement from conservative radio talk show host Steve Deace, a prominent figure in the Republican Party. If DeSantis can secure a significant portion of the evangelical vote in Iowa, it could bolster his campaign
as another undeclared asset in Iowa, where he has formed a relationship with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. Despite Trump's public criticism of Reynolds, she has not endorsed anyone and has a connection with DeSantis dating back to the early months of the pandemic when they both faced backlash for opening up their states. Recently, Reynolds and DeSantis appeared together to form an Iowa chapter of a group called "Mamas for DeSantis," and Reynolds accompanied DeSantis as he participated in a photo op at the Iowa State Fair.
According to Iowa strategists, the bar is relatively low for DeSantis in Iowa, as there has been criticism of him as an awkward candidate. However, interest in his candidacy remains strong, and many voters can envision him as president. DeSantis' message is evolving, with a mix of talk about his Florida record, criticism of the "woke" left, and biographical material outlining his agenda as president. While some of his rhetoric may be extreme, it has received applause from supporters.
One attendee at a recent event expressed interest in DeSantis due to his rise from the bottom and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, DeSantis still faces significant challenges in attracting attention from voters compared to Trump, who dominates media coverage despite facing legal issues.
In a recent poll, Trump led the field in Iowa with 44 percent support, while DeSantis trailed at 20 percent. While Trump's lead is healthy, it is closer than his advantage in national polls. Strategists believe that DeSantis' best goals in Iowa are to finish as close as possible to Trump and position himself as the clear alternative to the former president.
Many strategists view Trump as the inevitable nominee, but there is uncertainty about whether his legal problems will eventually convince Republican voters that he would lose to President Biden. As DeSantis continues to campaign in Iowa, he hopes to gain momentum and peel away votes from both Trump and other candidates.