Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis lost an opportunity to build his support in South Carolina with his strategic turn toward Iowa, a Palmetto State political watcher told The Post.
The DeSantis campaign has focused much of its energy on overhauling former President Donald Trump in the Hawkeye State.
The 45-year-old governor is set to tour all 99 Iowa counties before the Jan. 15 caucuses, shaking hands and talking to voters in a state that values retail politics.
DeSantis has canvassed 74 of those counties, according to campaign spokesman Andrew Romeo, and moved a large number of his staff from Florida to Iowa last week.
Iowa’s focus comes at the cost of a trip to South Carolina — the first major contest in the South and the last race before Super Tuesday on the 2024 calendar.
DeSantis is ahead of most other GOP candidates, as he is the first person to file for the primary in South Carolina. Trump and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are the only other candidates currently.
Although a DeSantis representative noted the governor has visited the state “almost a dozen times” during his campaign, events in Greenville and Spartanburg last week marked his first visit to the southeastern political powerhouse in nearly three months.
“South Carolina cannot be ignored. When our record [in] 10 out of the last 11 elections, picking a presidential candidate, you can’t put all your eggs in the Iowa and New Hampshire basket,” said Republican strategist Dave Wilson.
DeSantis greets supporters before speaking during a campaign stop on his Never Back Down South Carolina Bus Tour at The America Legion Post 28 in Spartanburg, South Carolina.REUTERS
“I think Ron DeSantis used to be in South Carolina [last] week, at least have shown some attention to our state. But it’s a retail political state and we expect to see a presidential candidate here,” Wilson continued.
While Wilson acknowledged DeSantis’ Iowa strategy may not have paid off with a caucus victory back over Trump, “you can’t do that at the expense of some time and energy and effort in South Carolina.”
DeSantis intends to visit South Carolina three more times this month and the campaign hopes “to build on this grassroots momentum in the coming weeks and months,” spokeswoman Carly Atchinson told The Post, noting DeSantis is the first to file the state’s application. main.
“While Hurricane Idalia canceled the previous governor’s visit to the Palmetto State in August, first lady Casey DeSantis stepped in and was greeted warmly at the Faith & Freedom BBQ fundraiser. Our campaign has built strong support and unparalleled infrastructure on the ground in South Carolina, and boasts over 50 endorsements from state legislators, sheriffs, mayors, county councilors and city councilors from every region of the state, as well as nearly 40 clergy and religious leaders who have joined our Faith and Family Coalition in the state,” added Atchinson.
DeSantis is set to visit all 99 Iowa counties before the Jan. 15 caucuses.REUTERS
State Sen. Josh Kimbrell — who introduced DeSantis Wednesday — argued the governor had “done a good job of being here early,” but added that he should maintain “regular visits” in the coming months ahead of the Feb. 24 primary.
“In my conversations with him and with his team, he made it clear that he intends to stay here between the New Hampshire primary and South Carolina,” Kimbrell said. “As long as he continues to come here regularly between now and New Hampshire and then move here between the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries, I still think he can win. Especially if he plays well at Iowa.”
DeSantis has a steep climb to overtake Trump, who received 50.5% support among registered South Carolina Republican voters in a recent Winthrop University poll. Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and Senator Tim Scott, who share South Carolina as their home state, polled at 16.6% and 5.8%, respectively, while DeSantis was at 12.1%.
“South Carolina cannot be ignored,” said Republican strategist Dave Wilson.REUTERS
Haley has done 10 events in the state, “with some of them having 1,000+ attendees, standing room only and overflow rooms,” her spokesman Ken Farnaso told The Post.
Scott has visited the state 14 times for campaign events, according to his campaign.
Drew McKissick, chairman of the South Carolina GOP and co-chairman of the Republican National Committee, told The Post he would “advise all campaigns to spend as much time, as much as they can, in South Carolina,” arguing it “risks” not being in position. which is good so close to Super Tuesday.
“South Carolina does offer something unique,” he said. “With our primary base, we have a microcosm of Republican primary voters across the country — cultural conservatives, fiscal conservatives, populists, national security voters.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
