Key takeaways:
- Bob Vander Plaats, an influential evangelical leader, endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
- Vander Plaats has a history of endorsing presidential candidates in the first-in-the-nation Iowa contest, and his endorsement could be a major boost for DeSantis’ campaign.
- Evangelicals and born-again Christians are a key voting group in Iowa, accounting for about two-thirds of Republican voters in the 2016 presidential election.
On Tuesday, influential evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. This marks the second major endorsement for DeSantis in Iowa this month, following an endorsement from Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.
Vander Plaats made the announcement during an appearance on Fox News Tuesday night, saying his endorsement was DeSantis’ to “lose” after he made repeated overtures. Supporters of DeSantis in the faith community point to Vander Plaats’ audience and influence to argue that his endorsement will help DeSantis make inroads with evangelical Christian voters in Iowa who have stuck with President Trump since 2016.
Vander Plaats has a history of endorsing presidential candidates in the first-in-the-nation Iowa contest. In 2012 and 2016, he endorsed former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, respectively — both of whom won the contest.
“I am thrilled to throw my personal endorsement and support behind Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida,” Vander Plaats said in an interview on Fox News. Evangelicals and born-again Christians are a key voting group in Iowa, having accounted for about two-thirds of Republican voters in the 2016 presidential election.
DeSantis’ campaign is hoping that Vander Plaats’ endorsement will help him gain traction with this key voting bloc. With the Iowa caucuses just months away, the endorsement could be a major boost for DeSantis’ campaign.
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