DeSantis plans to go to South Carolina directly after Iowa in nod to Haley

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is planning on touching down in South Carolina directly after the conclusion of the Iowa caucuses on Monday, a nod to the campaign of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who they intend to beat on her home terrain. 

DeSantis plans to head straight down to South Carolina, the state holding the first GOP votes in the South, instead of moving on the New Hampshire, which holds the Jan. 23 primary right after Iowa. The campaign plans to appear at an event in Greenville, S.C., according to the Associated Press. 

“This campaign is built for the long-haul,” DeSantis spokesman Andrew Romeo wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday. “We intend to compete for every single available delegate in New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and then into March,” That begins on Monday’s Iowa Caucus, and the next day we will kick our campaign into overdrive in both South Carolina and New Hampshire.”

Both candidates have been trailing former President Trump in Iowa. Based on The Hill/Decision-Desk HQ aggregate of 46 polls, Trump has a 37-point lead over the second-placed Haley who sits at 17.4%. DeSantis is closely trailing at 15.9%. 

Despite DeSantis’ move to zero in on Haley’s home state of South Carolina where he intends to make a statement, skipping New Hampshire, signals Haley’s far better standing in the Granite State where she has closed on Trump’s lead, now amassing 31% based on the polling average. 

Upon leaving the Palmetto State, Florida governor is scheduled to appear at a CNN town hall. Normally, candidates and their campaigns go to New Hampshire after Iowa, then follow the rest of the scheduled states. South Carolina’s primary is scheduled for Feb. 24, after the Nevada GOP caucus. 

Trump’s popularity is still firm in South Carolina. The former president has racked up a plethora of endorsements, ranging from the state congressional delegation to current Gov. Henry McMaster. DeSantis has collected his share of endorsements in the state and is ready for a “long” campaign. 

“We hope Donald Trump is ready for a long, scrappy campaign as we work to share Ron DeSantis’ vision across America. Game on,” Romeo wrote on Friday.