Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was endorsed by an influential Iowa evangelical leader, Bob Vander Plaats, a much-needed boost for a presidential campaign still struggling to find momentum ahead of next year’s Republican nominating contests.
But with former President Donald Trump an overwhelming frontrunner for the Republican nomination and Iowa’s first-in-the-nation contest less than two months away, it remains unclear whether the endorsement can make a significant difference for DeSantis’ chances.
“We need to find someone who can win in 2024,” Vander Plaats said in an interview, adding he does not believe Trump would be re-elected.
The Republican nominee will face President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the general election in November 2024.
DeSantis had courted Vander Plaats, president and CEO of the Christian advocacy group the Family Leader, in recent months.
He campaigned at several faith-based forums while championing strict limits on abortion as part of a heavy push for a strong finish in Iowa, which will hold its caucuses on Jan. 15.
The DeSantis campaign, a super PAC linked to him and a nonprofit group supporting him together paid $95,000 in recent months to Vander Plaats’ organization, the Family Leader, Reuters exclusively reported in August.
DeSantis’ campaign has long hoped to consolidate support among Iowa’s evangelical community in a bid to deny Trump an early victory and stave off what would amount to a Republican coronation.
“His support tells Iowans they can trust me to fight and win for them,” DeSantis said on X.
Vander Plaats said a win by DeSantis in Iowa would reshape the race.
“If President Trump wins Iowa here, I think it’s going to be awfully hard to make the case that you can beat President Trump. And he’s going to be your eventual nominee,” he said. “I think America is well served to have a choice.”
