Two prominent Iowa Republicans are endorsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president ahead of his weekend trip to the first-in-nation caucus state.
State Senate President Amy Sinclair and House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl said Mr. DeSantis, a Republican who will likely join the GOP primary field, is a proven leader in Florida and the party needs to look forward.
Mr. DeSantis will hold events Saturday in Sioux Center and Cedar Rapids. He is heading for a showdown in the state with former President Donald Trump, who will hold a rally in Des Moines on the same day.
Mr. Trump has picked up key endorsements in Congress and dominates the GOP primary field in early polling, but the landscape could shift once Mr. DeSantis formally announces his campaign.
Ms. Sinclair told the Des Moines Register that Mr. DeSantis is “head and shoulders” above the rest of the GOP field, so it was “an easy endorsement for me.”
The leaders said Mr. DeSantis had a proven track record on conservative issues like taxes and parental rights, while drawing an implicit contrast with Mr. Trump, who still insists he didn’t lose in 2020.
“We need a leader that’s looking forward towards the future, not a leader that’s looking in the rearview mirror and potentially going to be vindictive towards other people,” Mr. Windschitl told the Register. “We need somebody that’s accountable to the people that has proven in their state that they can do this job and take that same prosperity and spread it throughout America.”
Mr. Trump has taken a number of swipes at Mr. DeSantis. He says the governor needed his support to win in Florida and is characterizing Mr. DeSantis as a threat to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare.
Mr. DeSantis has avoided direct confrontation with Mr. Trump but has alluded to his own electoral success and the lack of palace intrigue within his state administration, while casting doubts on Mr. Trump’s approach to COVID-19 early in the pandemic.
Republican Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Thomas Massie of Kentucky have endorsed Mr. DeSantis, though Mr. Trump has picked up a string of congressional backers, including at least nine U.S. senators.
Other Republicans, including Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, said after Mr. Trump’s CNN town hall that they do not intend to support Mr. Trump.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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