Ron DeSantis has hit 99 Iowa counties, but a new survey from Suffolk University suggests Hawkeye State Republicans weren’t impressed.
The poll, released hours after DeSantis’ CNN debate with Nikki Haley, shows the Florida Governor with just 13% support, which is his worst number in any Iowa survey to date.
The Governor trails Donald Trump (54%) and Nikki Haley (20%), but leads Vivek Ramaswamy (6%) and Chris Christie. The former New Jersey Governor had 2% support and withdrew from the race Wednesday.
Some data could be spun as positive for DeSantis, He’s the top second choice of 26% of respondents, which is the best performance of any candidate in that regard. His 58% approval in Iowa is better than that of Haley, who is at 49%. But overall, the poll numbers and DeSantis’ 41-point deficit suggests Monday will be as bleak inside the caucuses as the winter gloom will be outside.
After the debate Wednesday, DeSantis said his backers would show up and show out at Monday’s vote.
“I do better when I’m underestimated. I like being the underdog. And so, I’m not a prognosticator. I think if you look at what we’ve done here, the organization that we built, the tens of thousands of Iowans that have already committed to caucus, everything, we’ve done it the right way. We’ve gone to all 99 counties,” DeSantis told Anderson Cooper.
“And I think you’re seeing that. You’re going to start to see that more and more even through the weekend. … My people are going to come out in negative 20 (degrees). They’re going to come out and do it. But at the same time, you know, I’d rather be underestimated, so I hope everyone says all that and then on caucus night, you know, we’re going to do well.”
If the Governor wanted to be underestimated, this poll certainly obliged.
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