Voters in Iowa have expressed their support for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis due to his stance on the southern border, while Florida residents seem less concerned about the issue. A new effort in support of DeSantis, led by Blake Harris, a former adviser for Senator Tim Scott’s presidential campaign, is underway in Iowa. Harris is expected to run the super PAC Fight Right, which aims to bolster DeSantis’s position in the first caucus state. The super PAC has already launched a $980,000 television ad campaign targeting Nikki Haley, who is currently polling closely behind DeSantis. However, former President Trump continues to maintain a significant lead over DeSantis. One of the ads compares Haley to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
According to Politico, there have been reports of infighting within the DeSantis-aligned super PAC Never Back Down about the best strategy to prevent Haley’s rise before the Jan. 15 caucuses. Never Back Down transferred $1 million to Fight Right before its first ad buy, indicating a shared objective between the two political action committees. DeSantis himself met with potential donors for Fight Right in Palm Beach, Florida, signaling his support for the independent efforts of the super PAC.
In a memo reported by ABC News, DeSantis’s campaign manager, James Uthmeier, expressed his welcome to Fight Right’s independent efforts, stating that the super PAC would provide “welcome air support” for the governor. Meanwhile, Never Back Down, which Uthmeier referred to as “the largest Iowa turnout machine in history,” will focus on groundwork for DeSantis.
On the other hand, Haley’s presidential campaign received a significant endorsement from Americans for Prosperity, the political arm of the influential Koch network. The Koch network has been building a network of paid conservative activists and volunteers in key states for several years. While the Koch network previously ran ads questioning Trump’s electability in the upcoming general election against President Biden, Trump continues to maintain a strong lead in the race.
In response to the Koch endorsement, DeSantis spokesperson Andrew Romeo likened it to a contribution to the Trump campaign. He congratulated Trump on securing the endorsement and argued that every dollar spent on Haley’s candidacy should be reported as an in-kind contribution to the Trump campaign. Romeo emphasized DeSantis’s record of beating the establishment and expressed confidence that this time would be no different.
It is worth noting that the article includes contributions from the Associated Press and reports that Danielle Wallace is a reporter for Fox News Digital covering politics, crime, and more.
In conclusion, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s support in Iowa is growing as a super PAC, Fight Right, launches a significant ad campaign targeting Nikki Haley. While infighting within the DeSantis-aligned super PAC Never Back Down has been reported, both PACs share the objective of preventing Haley’s rise. Haley’s campaign, on the other hand, received a key endorsement from Americans for Prosperity, part of the influential Koch network. Despite this, former President Trump continues to maintain a strong lead in the race.
