Following the results of the Iowa caucuses, DeSantis will make his first stop in South Carolina, possibly as a dig at Haley.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis3rd
The first destination after the third stop.Iowa caucusesNew Hampshire
The upcoming voting competition will take place in a break from traditional political practices.
The first primary in the nation for New Hampshire will take place on Jan. 23, only eight days after the Iowa caucuses. Meanwhile, South Carolina’s primary will be held a month later on Feb. 24. However, DeSantis’ campaign has confirmed their attendance at an event in Greenville, South Carolina on Tuesday morning and has chosen to go there first before heading to New Hampshire for a meet and greet and town hall on Tuesday night.
DeSantis is attempting to exert influence on Nikki Haley, the former Governor of South Carolina and Ambassador to the United Nations, who currently holds a significant advantage over DeSantis in early polling in New Hampshire and South Carolina. In Iowa, where former President Donald Trump is leading in polls, Haley and DeSantis are tied for second place in the Republican primary race.
The success of DeSantis’ run for office is being called into doubt, particularly if he performs poorly or suffers a significant loss to Trump in Iowa.
“This campaign is built for the long-haul. We intend to compete for every single available delegate in New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and then into March,” said DeSantis communications director Andrew Romeo. “We hope Donald Trump is ready for a long, scrappy campaign as we work to share Ron DeSantis’ vision across America.”
During his campaign, DeSantis has primarily focused on Iowa, holding events in all of its 99 counties. According to a CBS News analysis, he has completed over 240 events in the state. However, his visits to New Hampshire have decreased since August, with only eight trips to the state since Aug. 19. A representative from the DeSantis campaign in New Hampshire stated that the governor is still fully committed to the state.
Some supporters of DeSantis viewed his decision to detour to South Carolina after the Iowa event as a beneficial decision.
Richard Paddock, a voter from New Hampshire who is in favor of DeSantis, expressed his belief that the campaign is strong and will continue. Paddock plans to travel to Iowa on Monday to canvass for DeSantis. He stated that with only eight days left in New Hampshire, it is crucial to make an impact in Iowa and create some buzz in the race.
According to Dave Wilson, a Republican strategist and former head of the Palmetto Family Council, choosing South Carolina as the first stop on the campaign trail sends a message to Nikki Haley that the race is far from over. The decision to specifically visit Greenville is seen as an effort by DeSantis to appeal to the more conservative evangelical voters in northern South Carolina who align with his leadership style on cultural matters.
According to him, DeSantis will only visit South Carolina if he wants to rally support and outshine Nikki Haley. This shows that he is still determined to stay in the race, despite speculation that he may drop out.
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Source: cbsnews.com