Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will endorse Ron DeSantis for president at a rally in Des Moines on Monday, sources close to both governors told NBC News.
Reynolds’ endorsement is a major boost for the Florida governor, who’s gone all-in on Iowa since launching his bid for the GOP nomination in May. DeSantis currently trails former President Donald Trump by 27 points in the Hawkeye State, according to the latest NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll — and he is also tied for second place with rival Nikki Haley, with the former United Nations ambassador catching up to DeSantis after he spent months pitching himself to GOP voters as the party’s main alternative to Trump.
Now, DeSantis has the support of the state’s popular governor as he tries to climb back up the ladder and challenge Trump in the Jan. 15 caucuses, the first contest of the 2024 GOP presidential race. More Iowa Republicans viewed Reynolds favorably — 81% — than any of the presidential candidates in the August NBC/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll, and her support could lift DeSantis’ chances of pulling off an upset.
Read the full story on NBCNews.com here.
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