Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is reportedly dropping millions of dollars in Iowa in hopes of trouncing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Hawkeye State.
More specifically, the Haley campaign is investing $10 million in ads for both Iowa and New Hampshire, which will kick off in December. The Associated Press describes the move as a “massive investment designed to give the former United Nations ambassador an advantage over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at a critical moment in the GOP nomination fight.”
Further, this investment is reportedly “five times larger than DeSantis’ current advertising reserves for the same time period,” and it comes fresh on the heels of South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott dropping out of the race, leaving his supporters up for grabs.
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“I’m going to recommend that the voters study each candidate and their candidacies and, frankly, their past and make a decision for the future of the country,” Scott said during an appearance on former Rep. Trey Gowdy’s (R-SC) Fox News show. “The best way for me to be helpful is to not weigh in on who they should endorse.”
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Haley has already overtaken DeSantis in the early states of South Carolina and New Hampshire, leading him by averages of 8.5 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively. However, Monday’s RealClearPolitics (RCP) average shows Haley within striking distance of DeSantis in Iowa — just three points behind. Further, recent surveys show her gaining momentum, as the latest Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll finds both Haley and DeSantis tying for second place, coming 27 points behind former President Donald Trump, with 16 percent support each.
The trends also favor Haley, as that specific poll result reflects a ten-point increase for her since August and a three-point drop for DeSantis.
In recent days, Haley’s campaign has attacked DeSantis, accusing him of lying about his record on fracking in the Sunshine State.
The DeSantis campaign is dismissing Haley’s massive investment, asserting that it is “clear there is no way Nikki Haley can beat Donald Trump, and every dollar spent on her candidacy is an in-kind to the Trump Campaign.”
DeSantis campaign communications director Andrew Romeo said in a statement:
No amount of money will be enough for Nikki Haley to conceal her pro-China, pro-Gaza aid, pro-gas tax, and pro-Hillary record. As Americans look behind the curtain, they will see she does not have the extensive record of conservative achievements that Ron DeSantis boasts.
“Ron DeSantis has the best combination of endorsements, ground game, and message in the early states, which is why the former president continues to attack only him. We are confident the Iowa voters will see who will best represent them and their values,” he added.
A recent Trafalgar Group survey of the GOP primary race in Iowa shows Trump as the clear frontrunner, with 43.8 percent support. DeSantis falls to a distant second, roughly 26 points behind with 17.5 percent support, and Haley virtually ties him for second place with 15.1 percent support. That 2.4 percent difference is within the survey’s ± 2.9 percent margin of error.