Desantis draws crowd in Iowa
Florida governor’s visit seen as a test for presidential bid
DAVENPORT, Iowa — Ahead of a widely expected presidential campaign, Florida Gov. Ron Desantis introduced himself to an eager audience of Iowa Republicans on Friday with a message that leaned into the antagonism toward the left that has made him a popular figure among conservatives.
“We will never surrender to the woke mob,” he said at the Rhythm City Casino Resort in the eastern Iowa city of Davenport. “Our state is where woke goes to die.”
With the Iowa caucuses less than a year away, Republicans in the state are taking a harder look at Desantis, who is emerging as a leading rival to Donald Trump.
The former president, who is mounting his third bid for the White House, will be in Davenport on Monday as early signs warn that some Republicans may be looking for someone else to lead the party into the future.
Desantis appeared alongside Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and was headed to the capital city of Des Moines later in the day to meet with a small contingent of GOP lawmakers and to promote his newly released book, The Courage to be Free.
The visit is an early test of Desantis’ support in the state that will kick off the contest for the Republican nomination next year. Trump remains widely popular among Iowa Republicans, though positive views of the former president have slipped somewhat since he left the White House.
Now, 80% say they have a favorable rating of him, down slightly from 91% in September 2021, according to a Des Moines Register/ Mediacom poll released on Friday. Eighteen% have unfavorable views of Trump.