For Ron DeSantis, Iowa was meant to be the decisive state.
Late last year, the governor of Florida shifted his campaign to Iowa, and his affiliated PAC, Never Back Down, dumped tens of millions of dollars on his gambit.
After finishing second place in last week’s Iowa caucuses, former Republican Maryland governor Larry Hogan declared that Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s presidential run was gone.
During an “This Week” appearance on ABC, Hogan stated that former president Trump and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley are virtually in a “two-person race” for the Republican presidential nomination. While discussing Haley’s prospects for winning this week’s New Hampshire primary, he ignored DeSantis’s campaign.
Last week, at the Iowa caucuses, DeSantis received around 21% of the vote, putting him in second place. Trump received approximately 51% of the vote. Haley received 19% of the vote among state voters, placing her in third place.
Scott Wagner, the newly appointed chairman of the super PAC, was engrossed in an endeavor that staffers found disturbing in the week leading up to the crucial caucuses: he was busy working on a literal puzzle.
Allegedly, Wagner was engrossed in putting together a tranquil 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle depicting a landscape in his last few days at Never Back Down’s headquarters in West Des Moines, Iowa.
A Never Back Down crew member snapped a photo on January 9 and sent it to NBC News, showing that everyone else in the room was slumped over their computers.
Just days before New Hampshire’s primary begins, DeSantis is in third place, far behind Trump and Haley. As per The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, Haley’s support in the state is around 36%, putting her in second place behind Trump by approximately 11 points, while DeSantis’ support is at 5.7%.
Last week, Hogan stated that Haley is the “best possible candidate” that Republicans can present in November’s general election, endorsing her bid for the GOP nomination. Despite Trump’s advantage in the polls, he indicated on Sunday that Haley may still earn the GOP nomination.
