Ron DeSantis will go to South Carolina, the first GOP state in the South, following Monday's Iowa caucuses to fight Nikki Haley.
After a caucus night party in Iowa on Monday, the Florida governor will travel to South Carolina to attend a campaign rally in Greenville, a conservative community in the northwest. Rather of traveling to New Hampshire, the GOP's next state with a Jan. 23 primary. Haley and DeSantis have fought for second place in Iowa, headed by former President Donald Trump, for months.
DeSantis' team said the action shows Haley he wants to do well in her state. DeSantis has multiple times more support from current and past government leaders in Haley's home state than she has, advisors say.
The release also shows Haley outperforming DeSantis in New Hampshire. This week's CNN/UNH survey in New Hampshire revealed that Haley, the former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador, may challenge Trump for the state's top slot. In New Hampshire, 4 in 10 Republican primary voters prefer Trump and 1 in 3 pick Haley.
This campaign is long-term. We will battle for every delegate in New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina, and March, said DeSantis spokesperson Andrew Romeo. That starts with Monday's Iowa Caucus, and we'll ramp up our campaign in South Carolina and New Hampshire the following day.
Campaigns usually stump in New Hampshire before going on to other states. The Feb. 24 South Carolina Republican primary follows Nevada's GOP caucus. DeSantis will head to New Hampshire for a CNN town hall Tuesday night after his South Carolina engagement.
Haley promises to do well in the first round of votes before going to her “sweet state of South Carolina, and we’ll finish it.” Her campaign did not respond to a Friday request for comment.
Trump has remained popular in South Carolina since his 2016 primary triumph propelled him to the nomination. In this race, Gov. Henry McMaster, Sen. Lindsey Graham, and numerous House members back him.