Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa asserts that DeSantis—not Trump—is the most qualified Republican for the 2024 election.

Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa said it “feels good to get in the game” by endorsing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, following seven months of hosting Republican presidential candidates in her state.

Though she conceded that a larger field might benefit former President Donald Trump, the widely-liked governor of Iowa refused to say whether other contenders should give up and endorse him as well.

Reynolds stated in an interview with The Associated Press that “if we don’t narrow the field, it’s going to be hard to… maybe, you know, that helps Trump.” “But I believe they should make that decision.”

Reynolds defied a long-standing custom of Iowa governors remaining impartial in their party’s presidential contests by endorsing the first candidate on the GOP nomination calendar earlier this week.
The DeSantis team hopes that the endorsement would boost momentum for the candidate, who was once viewed as the most likely Republican challenger to Trump but is currently tied for second place with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, in the run-up to the Jan. 15 caucuses. To date, DeSantis has not been able to overtake Trump in the polls or distinguish himself as the obvious alternative for those who were dissatisfied with Trump or worried about the former president’s chances of winning in November 2024.

Reynolds and DeSantis frequently compliment one another on their strong victories in the previous year’s midterm elections, despite Republican difficulties in other areas, as well as their concurrent policy achievements in historically purple states.

In states that vote early in the selection process, like Iowa, Trump continued to lead Republican voter surveys; however, Reynolds forecasted “a lot of movement” over the next two months. She referenced a poll conducted in late October by the Des Moines Register, NBC News, and Mediacom, which indicated that DeSantis was frequently mentioned as a candidate that people were “actively considering” as a backup choice.

Reynolds remarked, “When you looked at where some of the other candidates ranked for second choice, I didn’t see that same opportunity.” “I felt that was a really good thing for Ron to do.”

Prior to Reynolds’ official endorsement on Monday, Trump had attempted to claim victory over Reynolds in the governorship race and accused her of being disloyal due to her close ties with DeSantis.

Following reports of her endorsement, he wrote on social media on Sunday, “If and when Kim Reynolds of Iowa endorses Ron DeSanctimonious, who is absolutely dying in the polls both in Iowa and Nationwide, it will be the end of her political career in that MAGA would never support her again, just as MAGA will never support DeSanctimonious again.”

Despite her early pledge to stay impartial in the election, Reynolds attended campaign events with the majority of the contenders during the spring and summer, regularly making appearances alongside DeSantis and his family, demonstrating her close friendship with them.

Though it wasn’t an easy decision, she stated that “there’s just too much at stake” and that she called Haley, who she described as “a good friend,” to let her know.

Reynolds stated that Iowa’s job in the nomination process is to begin to narrow the field, which will happen organically, even if she acknowledged it is not her business to advise others to withdraw from the race.