As his campaign struggles in New Hampshire, Ron DeSantis wants people to know who his friends are.
During a press conference with reporters from New England, the Florida Governor extolled New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, preemptively defending him against attacks from former President Donald Trump.
“I disagree with Donald Trump’s attacks on Gov. Chris Sununu. I think New Hampshire is the best governed state in New England. I think Chris has done a great job up there and you can see the fact that people flee to New Hampshire, just like people flee to Florida, whether it’s to escape crime, high taxes, you name it,” DeSantis said.
“So those guys have done a good job up in New Hampshire as the Live Free or Die state. And as Republicans, we should be supporting Republican Governors, whether it’s Kim Reynolds in Iowa or Chris Sununu in New Hampshire, when they can get elected with big victories and then deliver. So just as a fellow Governor, I appreciate that very much,” DeSantis added.
DeSantis has previously told voters in the state that Florida didn’t have “pride” until he became Governor, contending that the Granite State is a model for the Sunshine State.
“I was born and raised in Florida, and it’s only been recently that we’ve developed a sense of state pride ourselves,” DeSantis said.
“We’re proud to have stood up for freedom in the last few years when it wasn’t easy. We did it our own way and I’m proud of that. But I must admit, we draw inspiration from the people here in New Hampshire. Because more than any other state, you don’t mince words when it comes to your stand on liberty. You say it very clearly: Live Free or Die.”
The Governor, who is at 8% in the latest New Hampshire Poll, 41 points behind Trump, clearly hopes Sununu will help to boost him ahead of next year’s Primary. Sununu so far has declined to endorse a candidate in the GOP Primary race.
Down in Iowa, meanwhile, the Governor has made a similar bet on the aforementioned Reynolds, who leads the state he has called the “Florida of the North.”
He has said she “is a strong leader who knows how to ignore the chirping and get it done. She earned a landslide re-election because she delivered big results, and she is poised to deliver even more for Iowans in the Special Session.”
Polls aren’t registering a positive effect from these co-branding efforts yet, but it’s not for lack of trying on the Governor’s part.
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