Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds endorses DeSantis for president 

Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president on Monday, calling the GOP White House hopeful “one of the most effective leaders” she’s ever seen. 

Reynolds, 64, had previously suggested that she would remain neutral through the Iowa Caucus, the first GOP presidential nominating contest, but citing the “unprecedented times,” she said Monday, “I could not and cannot sit on the sidelines any longer.”

“Not only do we need to make sure that we elect someone who can win and beat Joe Biden, we need a president who has the skill and the resolve to reverse the madness that we see every single day,” Reynolds told DeSantis supporters at a rally in Des Moines. 

“Someone who will fight for you and win for you. We need someone who won’t get distracted but will stay disciplined who puts this country first and not himself. That leader is Ron DeSantis,” the Iowa governor said. 

Reynolds, who was tapped to lead the Hawkeye State in 2017 after former President Trump moved to appoint her predecessor, Terry Branstad, to serve as US ambassador to China, praised the Florida governor’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes and his family life during her endorsement speech. 

“The pressure to shut down and ‘shelter in place’ to keep our kids out of school was unbelievable, and it came from every corner, even from the White House,” Reynolds said. “You know, most leaders, they buckled under that pressure. They listened to [Dr. Anthony] Fauci instead of the real science, but there was one man running for president who did not, Ron DeSantis.”

“When the liberals and media came after him, he stood his ground. When the Trump administration let Fauci lead their response, Ron had the courage to say not in Florida,” she added. 

“Ron is focused, he is principled, he is results driven. And in short, what I love most about Ron is he gets things done,” the Iowa governor told the crowd. 

“I am so proud to stand here tonight and give him my full support and endorsement,” she said. 

DeSantis, who took the stage after Reynolds, thanked the Iowa governor for her endorsement and praised her for getting “involved in the process” despite potential blowback.  

“Look, when you do that some people don’t like it and some people say this or that, but I think that she understands what I understand – this country has hit the skids. This country is in a period of decline,” DeSantis said. 

DeSantis added that Reynolds is “one of the greatest governors in the United States” and “one of the greatest governors the state has ever had.”

“Together, we will win Iowa,” the Florida governor added in a tweet. 

Reynolds’ endorsement comes amid growing competition in the polls from former South Carolina governor and US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.

Iowa’s 2024 GOP nominating contest will take place on Jan. 15.

Trump is leading DeSantis in the Hawkeye State by more than 30 points, according to a RealClearPolitics average of state polls, and DeSantis leads Haley by 5.5 point margin. 

The Trump campaign shrugged off reports of the imminent endorsement before the governor’s rally, arguing that “If either of the early state governors decided to back DeSantis, it would only shift the race a net 4 percentage points in his favor.”

“Kim Reynolds apparently has begun her retirement tour early as she clearly does not have any ambition for higher office,” the Trump campaign said. “President Trump is the undisputed leader of the Republican Party and that’s why he not only leads every single Iowa poll by significant margins but also beats Crooked Joe Biden in the general.”

Trump railed against Reynolds earlier this year amid reports that she had been warming up to her Florida counterpart.

The 77-year-old former president recalled how he had supposedly been good to Reynolds in the past and appeared bothered by her unwillingness to endorse him to be the GOP nominee for the third straight cycle.

“I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won. Now, she wants to remain ‘NEUTRAL.’ I don’t invite her to events! DeSanctus down 45 points!” Trump wrote on Truth Social in July, using his preferred spelling of DeSantis’ name.