DeSantis Campaign Press Release - Seven More Counties to Go

Ron DeSantis hit his 92nd county in latest swing through Iowa

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Ron DeSantis has been in Iowa for the last two days, where he met with voters and made huge headway on his quest to visit all 99 counties in Iowa. As of today, DeSantis has now visited 92 counties- only seven more to go!

DeSantis spent much of Friday with Iowa faith leader Bob Vander Plaats. He visited the Family Leader Foundation's office and joined Vander Plaat's video series, Choose Well 2024.

"We're better off when everyone counts. Part of that is being pro-life, but the other part is ensuring that mothers have what they need," said DeSantis during the interview, which will air in full next week.

In the afternoon, DeSantis joined Amanda Rooker for KCCI's Coffee with the Candidate series, where he told undecided Iowan caucus-goers his vision for America's revival. The full interview with KCCI will also air next week.

In the evening, he held a Veterans for DeSantis meet and greet in Ames, and met members of Iowa State's Students for DeSantis. At the meet and greet, he was asked by reporters about whether he'd participate in the Family Leader Foundation's Thanksgiving Family Forum despite the RNC's warnings against it. This is what DeSantis had to say:

"I'm going to be there at the Family Leader. I think it's an important part of this process. It's been a part of this process for a long time. There's no way that should cause the RNC to penalize any candidate. I was at the Family Leader today, did a podcast with Bob. I told him 'I don't know what you guys are going to do to work it out but I'll be here no matter what happens. So you guys pencil me in for that."

Now, the RNC is backing down and giving candidates the thumbs up to participate in the forum.

The same day, DeSantis notched 24 state-level endorsements from 20 different counties in Iowa- proof of his ever-increasing momentum in the Hawkeye State.

On Saturday, DeSantis visited four new Iowa counties as a special guest on Never Back Down's bus tour. He kicked off the morning with a meet and greet at the Kent Corporation in Muscatine County. He told voters,

"I've cut taxes by record amounts, vetoed wasteful spending…and we've paid down 25 percent of the state's total debt. [As President,] 'm going to lean in against Congress. We're not going to let them spend into oblivion."

He also called out Donald Trump for not fulfilling his 2016 campaign promises:

"Recently he said, 'well, there was no legal mechanism I could've used to make Mexico pay for the wall'…Last week he said that he never promised Mexico would pay for the wall, that he only said Mexico would pay for a piece of the wall. Do you ever remember him saying 'only a piece of the wall' in 2016?!"

Then he hit county #90 by visiting the State Bank of Wapello in Louisa county. DeSantis was the first presidential candidate to visit the city of Wapello in 32 years.

The third stop of the day was Cider House in Louisa County. While there, he visited with Iowa State Representative Taylor Collins.

DeSantis wrapped up the swing with a stop at Grant Ranch Pub and Grub in Jefferson County, officially hitting county #92.