DeSantis Campaign Press Release - Ron DeSantis Over Halfway on Iowa 99-County Tour

Following a three-day,15-county swing, DeSantis has visited 53 counties on the "Full Grassley"

Right after his win on the debate stage in Milwaukee, Ron DeSantis went back to Iowa to continue on his quest to visit all 99 counties - the ‘Full Grassley.' DeSantis visited 15 counties in just three days as a special guest on Never Back Down's bus tour, taking his total counties visited up to 53. The swing came as 26 local officials, longtime activists, farmers, sheriffs, and veterans from 19 counties across Iowa endorsed DeSantis.

DeSantis started his Iowa swing with a trip on Thursday to the Field of Dreams baseball field in Dyersville, with the whole family in tow. He played ball with the kids and met local supporters and baseball fans. See more photos in the Des Moines Register.

On Friday morning, DeSantis and his family began their bus tour with Never Back Down, starting off the day with a meet and greet in Lyon County. DeSantis is the first 2024 presidential candidate to visit Lyon. He was introduced by Dr. Cody Hoefert, former co-chair of the Iowa GOP, who was one of the 26 endorsements that DeSantis gained post-debate.

"I talk to Iowans every day in my chiropractic practice, and they all tell me the same thing. They want leadership. They don't want showmanship," Hoefert said. "They want someone who says what they're going to do and deliver upon it. They want someone who cares more about everyday Iowans than they care about themselves."

After the meet and greet, DeSantis made a series of retail stops: Grace Boutique in Osceola County, Valero Renewable Fuels in O'Brien County, Northwest Iowa Small Business Development Center in Clay County, a Dairy Queen in Palo Alto county, and J&J AG Solutions in Emet County.

DeSantis ended Friday at a meet and greet event with Iowa House Speaker Pro Tempore John Wills in Dickinson County. Representative Wills said, "It was great to be with Governor DeSantis yesterday on his tour of Iowa. He visited seven counties yesterday. The end visit was in Dickinson County, where DeSantis drew a standing-room-only crowd."

On Saturday, DeSantis drew a packed house of Iowan veterans at a meet-and-greet at the Algona VFW in Kossuth County with Iowa State Representative Henry Stone.

Then, he met with local faith leaders in Humboldt County after visiting St. Olaf Lutheran Church, where Pastor Joyce Schmidt prayed over the DeSantis family.

Afterwards, DeSantis made a stop at Clarion Meat Locker in Wright County.

He hit county #50 at a Pizza Ranch in Hancock County.

Then, he visited Family Alliance for Veterans in Winnebago County and the Manly Terminal in Worth County. DeSantis ended the whirlwind trip with a meet and greet event in Cerro Gordo County with Iowa Senator Waylon Brown.