DeSantis Boasts Major Iowa Endorsements As Presidential Announcement Likely Just Around The Corner

A Super PAC supporting Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has reportedly revealed an impressive list of almost forty Iowa State legislators who've agreed to endorse him in the run-up to a trip to Iowa.

Iowa is an odd trip for a Florida Governor, though a must for a presidential candidate. As of this report, DeSantis has not declared his candidacy for the GOP nomination in 2024.

Politico reported that the Florida governor has spent the last several weeks courting the Iowa GOP citing a source familiar with DeSantis' phone calls. This is even though DeSantis allegedly didn't ask for endorsements in so many words and rather discussed Florida and Iowa legislation.

According to the outlet, the list of Iowan Republicans reportedly supporting DeSantis includes, "State Senate President Amy Sinclair, Senate Majority Whip Waylon Brown, Assistant House Majority Leader Brent Siegrist, House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl, House Speaker Pro Tempore John Wills, House Majority Whip Henry Stone and Assistant Majority Leader Jon Dunwell." Politico cited the Des Moines Register as reporting the support of Sinclair and Windschitl.

The remainder of the list was revealed by the Never Back Down PAC to include: "State Sens. Scott Webster, Jesse Green, Adrian Dickey, Mark Costello, Ken Rozenboom, Dennis Guth, Dan Zumbach, Tom Shipley, David Rowley, Mike Klimesh, and state Reps. Dave Deyoe, Dean Fisher, Brian Best, Steven Holt, Tom Moore, Norlin Mommsen, Skyler Wheeler, Ann Meyer, David Sieck, Phil Thompson, Carter Nordman, Bob Henderson, Ken Carlson, Devon Wood, Bill Gustoff, Dan Gehlbach, Tom Determann, Mike Vondran, Taylor Collins, and Hans Wilz."

Ron DeSantis gets the job done. pic.twitter.com/ktufRKreEI

— Never Back Down (@NvrBackDown24) May 12, 2023

DeSantis' trip to Iowa on Saturday will be his second as governor and he's scheduled to appear at a campaign picnic for Iowa Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra. Almost simultaneously 45th President Donald J. Trump will be hosting a rally approximately four hours south of him in the Iowa capital of Des Moines.

Comparatively, Trump is expected to announce the endorsement of almost 150 Iowa Republicans ahead of the rally, according to Politico, including county-level GOP officials and vital grassroots organizers. The GOP frontrunner already holds endorsements from 11 state legislators.

As it has been for so many other would-be candidates, Iowa's receptiveness to DeSantis may either launch his bid for president, or the Hawkeye state could be where the aspirations of the Never Back Down PAC and DeSantis backers go to die.