DES MOINES, Iowa — Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis has secured 50 new endorsements from pastors and religious leaders across Iowa, bringing his total to more than 150, The Post has learned.
The new supporters come in the final stages before Monday’s Iowa caucuses, where the Florida governor aims to defeat GOP front-runner Donald Trump.
All the new supporters plan to caucus for DeSantis.
Religious support is particularly important in Iowa, where strong evangelical support propelled Ted Cruz to a 2016 victory over Trump as he and Desantis had competed for evangelical voters.
In the days leading up to the caucuses, Trump has emphasized his role in protecting pro-life policies, saying he was president when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Last week, the Trump campaign announced the former president had secured more than 300 endorsements from religious leaders in all 99 counties in Iowa, surpassing DeSantis.
The governor, who is Catholic, has touted his support from religious leaders in Iowa in an effort to deflect attention from his Florida counterpart, Trump, 77, who polled 35 points ahead of him in the Hawkeye State.
DeSantis, 45, launched his Faith and Freedom Coalition in September to push his message of “God is above Government” and spread his policy of defending religious freedom.
On Friday, DeSantis told reporters he still plans to win the Iowa caucuses, urging voters to get out despite the weather. AP
The new supporters argue DeSantis is “a true man of strong faith and a defender of religious freedom” and has convictions that are “based on the principles of the Christian faith and worldview.”
“The other candidates are talking, but Ron DeSantis is a true man of faith and a defender of religious freedom who we can trust to unite our country and bring America back to life. I will be happy to support him on caucus night and encourage my fellow Iowans to do the same,” said Pastor Jeff Moes of Sunnybrook Community Church in Woodbury.
DeSantis has also received support from evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats, who has campaigned with him across Iowa and has urged voters to defeat Trump.
On Thursday, Vander Plaats predicted that DeSantis would win the Iowa caucuses, but only with the “help” of Iowa voters.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to audience members at the Northside Conservative Club Meeting at The District in Ankeny, Iowa, Friday. AP
Rival Nikki Haley, 51, is less aggressive in pandering to religious leaders as she takes a more middle-of-the-road approach on abortion.
The former UN ambassador and South Carolina governor has said she “doesn’t regret life,” but that abortion has been too politicized.
“Democrats put fear into women about abortion, and Republicans have used judgment,” Haley said at Wednesday’s debate on CNN. “This is too personal an issue to place fear or judgment on. Our goal should be, how do we save as many babies as possible and support as many mothers as possible? That is what we will focus on doing. We will not exacerbate this issue again. We will not play politics with this issue anymore.”
The amount of religious support doesn’t equate to a one-to-one turnout, but shows a general trend, Rutgers University political history professor David Greenberg told The Post.
“It’s probably safe to assume that this reflects some overall popularity with evangelical voters, who are a significant force in the Iowa Republican caucus,” Greenberg said.
According to the RealClearPolitics average, Trump polled at 53%, beating Haley (17.8%) and DeSantis (15.5%).
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
