Campaign Almanac: Ron DeSantis picks up Iowa endorsements following debate

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis picked up a slate of new Iowa endorsements, including that of the former co-chairman of the Iowa Republican Party, following the first Republican debate of the presidential primary cycle Wednesday night in Milwaukee.

DeSantis is among a field of more than a dozen Republicans competing for their party's 2024 presidential nomination.

Dr. Cody Hoefert, who served as co-chairman of the Iowa GOP between 2014 and 2021, announced his endorsement of DeSantis on Friday in Rock Rapids, citing the Florida governor’s debate performance.

"There was one candidate that stood in the center of the stage, stood strong and spoke about the issues Iowans cared about," Hoefert said of Wednesday's GOP presidential primary debate on Fox News, according to video posted to X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.

“He talked about leadership. He talked about what he's going to do to deliver and fix the problems that our nation faces. And I sat there with my wife and kids watching that debate and made up my mind that night that I was going to come out and endorse Ron DeSantis for president of the United States” Hoefert said.

Hoefert was critical of former President Donald Trump, who maintains a commanding lead over DeSantis and other Republican candidates in new Iowa polling, for Trump’s public criticism of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds for remaining neutral and not endorsing him during the months leading up to Iowa's first-in-the-nation Republican caucuses. Trump also took credit for Reynolds’ election as governor.

Iowa Republican strategist David Kochel, in a social media post, said Hoefert gives DeSantis a “solid endorsement from an outstanding Iowa Republican leader. DeSantis campaign has to feel good about this one as a post-debate signifier.”

In addition to Hoefert, DeSantis’ campaign said it picked up endorsements following the debate from 26 local officials, farmers, activists, sheriffs and veterans across the state. DeSantis has endorsements from 40 state legislators and 120 county-level chairs across Iowa.

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Nikki Haley, DeSantis see post-debate bump in Iowa

A post-debate poll commissioned by Never Back Down, the super PAC backing DeSantis' presidential campaign, show both DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley received a sizable bounce in support among likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers following their performance in the first primary debate.

The poll, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, surveyed 400 likely Iowa GOP caucusgoers the day after the debate. The survey, with has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points, found both DeSantis and Haley saw significant increases in their ballot standing from before the debate, while South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Ohio tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy both slipped a bit.

DeSantis saw a 7-point bump in support, while Haley saw an 8-point bump among those surveyed.

A new Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll released Monday shows Trump was the choice of 42 percent of likely Iowa Republican caucus participants, a full 23 percentage points ahead of DeSantis, who was at 19 percent. No other candidate reached double digits in the poll. Scott led the rest of the pack at 9 percent, with Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Ramaswamy in a tight pack not far behind.

Tim Scott launches ad attacking Biden

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott's presidential campaign launched two new post-debate ads Friday morning in Iowa and New Hampshire that blast President Joe Biden's policies.

The 30-second ads, titled “Tragic” and “Lead the Charge,” slam Biden's handling of the southern border and fentanyl crises.

In the 30-second “Lead the Charge” ad, which will air in Iowa, Scott says, “Joe Biden is out of step and out of ideas,” while strolling down a rural downtown main street. The ad also shows clips of Scott walking along the U.S.-Mexico border wall and shaking hands with law enforcement.

“He has law enforcement retreating from our border and our neighborhood streets. And America retreating from our deepest held values,” Scott continues. “I'll be the president who ends the Biden retreat and leads the charge for American strength. I'll build the wall, fund our police and defend our God-given freedoms.”