Following his first official move into the presidential race, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is set to campaign in several critical early-voting states.
Starting his campaign journey in Iowa for a two-day tour, DeSantis will then head to New Hampshire and South Carolina. DeSantis isn’t the only heavyweight on the campaign trail; former President Donald Trump, the current leading contender for the Republican nomination, is set to make appearances in Iowa just as DeSantis is visiting New Hampshire. This overlap is seen as a clear signal that the competition for the Republican nomination is shifting gears.
On Tuesday, the governor’s campaign kick-off event will occur in Des Moines, Iowa. It marks a return to traditional campaigning, a sharp contrast to his decision to announce his candidacy via a Twitter forum, moderated by the platform’s owner, Elon Musk, that faced significant technical difficulties. The technical glitches led to public mockery from Trump and other contenders.
Iowa holds particular significance for DeSantis’ campaign. Iowa can prove crucial to DeSantis ‘ campaign with the state’s caucuses scheduled for next February as the nation’s first nominating contest and its considerable evangelical demographic. The governor might find an opportunity there, as Trump lost the state’s caucuses to Senator Ted Cruz in 2016. After Iowa, the campaign will move on to nominating contests in New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Since announcing his run, DeSantis has positioned himself as the Republican candidate who can successfully challenge incumbent President Joe Biden. Lamenting what he perceives as a “culture of losing” within the Republican party, DeSantis has been increasingly critical of Trump, particularly regarding the latter’s approach to immigration reform and pandemic policies during his term. “This is a different guy than 2015, 2016,” DeSantis stated in a Friday interview with The Daily Wire.
This comes as the DeSantis campaign announced that it raised $8.2 million within 24 hours of his candidacy declaration, signaling solid financial backing from party donors keen to prevent Trump’s nomination.
