DeSantis pledged in a Fox News interview in Iowa, ‘We’re going to win here; we have what it takes.’
As he seeks to secure an unexpected triumph in the Republican presidential caucuses of Iowa, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida is accomplishing his objective of visiting all 99 counties in the state, which hosts the initial contest on the GOP nominating calendar.
DeSantis is scheduled to conclude his tour on Saturday in Jasper County, where he will be accompanied by Iowa’s popular Republican Governor, Kim Reynolds, who gave her endorsement in early November.
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Joining forces with DeSantis will be Bob Vander Plaats, the president and CEO of The Family Leader, a significant social conservative organization in a state where evangelical voters wield considerable influence in Republican politics. Vander Plaats pledged his support to DeSantis two weeks ago.
In a recent Fox News Digital interview in Des Moines, Iowa, Governor DeSantis confidently asserted, “We’re going to win here. We have what it takes.”
As part of his determined effort, DeSantis is undertaking what is referred to as “the full Grassley,” named after Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa. The veteran Republican senator established the tradition of touring all counties and has been doing so for over four decades.
“We’re going to complete the full Grassley. That’ll be 99 counties,” DeSantis informed reporters on Thursday. “We’re very excited about doing that. I think you have to do it to win Iowa. I think that’s what voters want to see. I think they want to be able to meet you.”
He committed to continuing the outreach, stating, “The fact that we did it doesn’t mean we’re not going to hit a lot more counties, again, over between now and caucus night.”
DeSantis aims to emulate the strategies of past Iowa caucus victors, such as former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (2008), former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum (2012), and Texas Senator Ted Cruz (2016), all of whom visited all 99 counties in the state.
However, it’s worth noting that despite their success in Iowa, none of these three candidates ultimately secured the GOP nomination.
Highlighting endorsements from Reynolds and Vander Plaats and support from various other Iowa politicians, DeSantis asserted that his campaign is “in better shape by far than previous caucus winners. And so we will continue to take that momentum all the way to caucus night for victory.”
Noting the dynamics, longtime Republican strategist David Kochel, who has extensive experience in Iowa’s presidential and statewide campaigns, remarked to Fox News that completing a “full Grassley” might be “kind of an inefficient use of candidate time because 70% of Iowans live in 30 counties. But it is a good messaging point and a way to demonstrate that you’re committed to the process.”
Kochel remarked, “It’s a way to say, ‘I respect the Iowa caucus process. I’m going to do it the right way, and I’m going to go everywhere and earn your vote.'”
Among the Republican White House hopefuls this cycle, DeSantis is the second candidate, after Ryan Blinkley, a lesser-known pastor and entrepreneur from Texas, to visit all 99 counties, completing this feat in early November.
DeSantis is currently engaged in a competitive race with Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations and ex-South Carolina governor, for the second position in the latest GOP presidential nomination polls in Iowa. However, both candidates trail significantly behind former President Donald Trump, who maintains a commanding lead in Iowa, as well as in other early-voting states and national surveys, in his third consecutive bid for the White House.
Trump is set to make a return to Iowa on Saturday for caucus organizing events, and his campaign is intensifying its advertising efforts in the state in the final weeks leading up to the caucuses.
Despite Trump hosting nearly 20 events in Iowa this year, Governor DeSantis has surpassed him in the number of stops, with approximately 130 visits. Many of these events were organized by the DeSantis-aligned super PAC, Never Back Down, which has also invested millions in building a robust ground game in Iowa.
While the initial outlook suggested a two-candidate contest for the nomination between Trump and DeSantis, the landscape has evolved into a three-way battle as Nikki Haley also vies for a prominent position in the race.
Haley, who has experienced a surge in the polls in recent months, attributed in part to her strong showings in the initial three GOP presidential primary debates, has surpassed DeSantis to claim the second position in New Hampshire. New Hampshire is the first primary state and votes second in the Republican nominating schedule. Similarly, she has secured second place in her home state, the site of the first southern contest.
Her focus now extends to Iowa, where she is neck-and-neck with DeSantis in some of the latest polls, indicating a determined effort to compete strongly in the state’s caucuses.
In a Fox News Digital interview before a recent town hall in Newton, Iowa, Haley expressed confidence, stating, “The momentum is real. The excitement is there. We’re going to keep working hard to win every Iowan’s vote. We’re not going to give up on Iowa.”
Haley has further strengthened her position by securing over 70 new endorsements in the Hawkeye State. Additionally, she initiated a significant $10 million advertising campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire, underscoring her commitment to these early primary states.
Adding to her support, Haley gained the endorsement of Americans for Prosperity Action earlier in the week. This political arm is associated with the influential fiscally conservative network founded by the billionaire Koch Brothers. AFP Action has committed to investing tens of millions of dollars and leveraging its extensive grassroots network to bolster Haley’s candidacy and advance the Republican Party beyond the influence of Trump.
“I think everybody understands how decisive Iowa is going to be in setting the field for a big dynamic change,” Koechel said, referring to DeSantis, Haley, and Trump.
In addition to these leading candidates, there are long-shot contenders for the GOP nomination actively campaigning in Iowa. One such candidate is Vivek Ramaswamy, a multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and first-time political candidate. Ramaswamy has focused his campaign efforts in Iowa, traveling widely across the state to drum up support for a crucial final stretch.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, despite not making the stage at the third GOP presidential primary debate, is actively investing time in Iowa.
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, polling at less than 1% and having missed the past two debates, continues to stay in the race and is actively campaigning in the Hawkeye State.
On the other hand, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, in his second bid for the White House, is opting to bypass Iowa. Instead, he is directing a significant portion of his efforts towards New Hampshire, where he enjoys double-digit support.
“Right now, people are starting to make up their minds,” observed Koechel, with only six weeks to go until the caucuses. “They’ve been in their top three or top four for a while. Now it’s really coming down to, ‘Do we stick with Trump or which of these Trump alternatives deserve to move forward with some momentum?’