Campaign Almanac: Former Iowa U.S. Rep. Steve King endorses Vivek Ramaswamy for president

A controversial Republican former Iowa lawmaker who alienated many members of his own party over his long, documented history of incendiary, racist remarks endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy for president on Tuesday.

Ramaswamy’s campaign announced the endorsement of Steve King, the former nine-term U.S. Representative from western Iowa, during an event in Bettendorf.

  Buy Photo

In a video ahead of Ramaswamy's appearance, King called Ramaswamy “the strongest voice we have to defend our constitution and to reestablish America's destiny.“

King, who's best known for making a series of incendiary comments about immigration and race that led to House Republican leadership stripping him of his committee assignments, did not appear in person.

King, who in past elections has been a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, praised Ramaswamy in a statement for his “courage to oppose the CO2 pipelines here in Iowa, to publicly oppose the climate change cult, to commit to pardon peaceful Jan. 6 protesters on day 1, and to end birthright citizenship for kids of illegals in this country.”

Ramaswamy, Ohio biotech entrepreneur, did not mention King during his speech, but told reporters afterward he's "proud to have Steve King's endorsement."

He said King has been "villainized by the media" and disputed a 2019 quote in which King questioned when terms such as white supremacist and white nationalism became controversial.

King served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2003 until 2021, leaving after a primary loss to current Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra.

Haley campaign says it raised $24M in fourth quarter

  Buy Photo

Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign announced Wednesday the former United Nations ambassador raised $24 million in the most-recent fundraising quarter — more than double any other previous quarter last year.

That’s up from around $11 million Haley’s campaign took in the third quarter and $7.3 million in the second quarter, as she began attracting interest from Republican donors searching for an alternative to former President Donald Trump, Haley’s chief GOP primary rival.

Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running against Trump and Haley for the GOP nomination, have not yet announced their campaign hauls for the final fundraising quarter of 2023.

Trump’s campaign raised more than $45 million during the third quarter and had $37.5 million cash on hand. DeSantis raised $15 million from his campaign committee, leadership PAC and joint fundraising committee during the third quarter of fundraising.

Since launching her campaign in February of last year, Haley raised $50 million from 180,000 donors across her three campaign committees. Haley has $14.5 million cash on hand going into 2024.

DeSantis says he will ‘defeat (D.C.) elites’ in new ad

  Buy Photo

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched a new TV ad as he makes his closing pitch to Iowa voters ahead of the Jan. 15 caucuses.

The 30-second ad, “chronicles the big victories DeSantis has won against the liberal elites" as governor of Florida, and what's at stake if President Joe Biden stays in power, according to DeSanits’ campaign.

“They’ve corrupted our institutions, indoctrinated our kids, opened our border, weaponized government against us, and destroyed the American dream. Ron DeSantis is the only candidate who has defeated them,” a narrator states.

The ad focuses on DeSantis' attacks and criticisms of Dr. Anthony Fauci, former chief medical adviser to Biden, and teachers unions over guidance on COVID-19 restrictions, as well as his removal of Democratic Florida prosecutors.

DeSantis has boasted that he removed “a prosecutor that was funded by Soros,” referring to his suspension of Tampa-area prosecutor Andrew Warren for signaling he would not enforce restrictions on abortion and gender therapy. The Florida governor accused the Democratic prosecutor of undermining public safety.

Warren’s campaign received indirect support from Democratic megadonor George Soros, a frequent target of Republican attacks.

This is the fourth ad DeSantis has run in Iowa, and is part of a previously announced ad buy airing on broadcast and cable television in the Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Davenport markets.

Haley picks up new Iowa endorsements

  Buy Photo

Nikki Haley, the 2024 Republican presidential candidate and former governor of South Carolina, announced Tuesday a new slate of Iowa endorsements.

They include Mary Ann Hanusa, a former state legislator from Council Bluffs who served in the White House for the administrations of President George H.W. Bush and President George W. Bush. Hanusa served as a state representative from 2011 to 2021.

Also endorsing Haley in Western Iowa is Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh and DeShawne Bird-Sell, a Mills County attorney.

The Republican Iowa caucuses are set for Jan. 15.

Pro-Haley PAC ad attacks DeSantis

SFA Fund, the Super PAC supporting Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign, is airing a new campaign ad portraying fellow candidate Ron DeSantis as a “mini-Trump.” A line in the ad claims, “You can’t beat Trump by trying to be Trump.”

The ad also highlights, as Haley often does at campaign events, polling that shows her leading Democratic President Joe Biden in hypothetical 2024 general election matchups, and by wider margins than DeSantis or Trump.

The new ad, titled “Plummeting,” is airing in Iowa.

Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau and Sarah Watson of the Quad-City Times