Political experts believe Gov. DeSantis will announce presidential run after the legislative session

Reporter: Emma Heaton Writer: Matthew Seaver
Published: Updated:
Governor Ron DeSantis in Iowa. (Credit: WINK News)

Governor Ron DeSantis is bringing his new book and confidence across the country. On Friday, he made a stop in Iowa.

Political experts are expecting DeSantis to announce his run for president soon.

The Ron DeSantis Florida knows is confident, bold, and knows how to fire up his fans. On Friday, the governor gave Iowa Republicans a taste of his energy, only his tone was reserved.

“If you talk to Floridians, there’s no drama in our administration. There’s no palace intrigue; they basically just sit back and say, ‘OK, what’s the governor going to do next,’ and we roll out, and we execute, and we do things, and we get things done,” said DeSantis in Iowa.

“He wants to leave the [appearance] that he’s a natural, friendly of a friend and neighbor approach, particularly in Iowa,” said Peter Bergerson, a professor of political science at FGCU.

Bergerson said there’s no question DeSantis will run for president. But why change his tone? Maybe because of the competition. Trump is expected to make an appearance at Iowa soon as well.

“Former President Trump, he’s well known in Iowa, obviously, as a former president, he has much more of a national recognition in standing than does Governor DeSantis,” said Bergerson.

The governor is trying to change that by traveling the nation on his book tour. His next stops include New Hampshire and Nevada—states that will vote first in the Republican caucuses and primaries.

Political analyst Aubrey Jewett said that is why the pressure’s on to leave a good impression. “Even if it’s not what the average voter might expect of a traditional politician, that will usually work better for you.”

A new “Iowa poll” released Friday shows Trump’s favorability is at 80% among Republicans in the hawkeye state. DeSantis is not far behind at 74%.

The experts say DeSantis is in no rush to announce his presidential candidacy. He’s already got a hundred million dollars in the bank, plus political action committees ready to raise even more money.

The best guess, they say, is DeSantis will make it official after the Florida legislative session wraps up.

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