DES MOINES, Iowa — Another notable figure in Iowa politics has thrown his support behind Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign.
Bob Vander Plaats, an Evangelical conservative and CEO of The FAMiLY Leader, appeared on Fox News Tuesday night to announce his support for the Florida governor.
“We need to find somebody who can win in 2024," Vander Plaats said. "And what we saw in 2022, the supposedly 'red wave' really only happened in Florida and in Iowa. Governor DeSantis took a reliable toss up state in Florida and made it complete red, won by 20 points, won in demographics that we haven't won in. But he's also done that by being a bold and courageous leader."
Vander Plaats is considered an influential leader among Iowa Republicans, having correctly picked the winner of the Iowa GOP Caucus in 2008, 2012 and 2016.
In a press release, DeSantis' campaign goes so far as to call Vander Plaats the "Iowa Caucus kingmaker".
“As I’ve made my way through 98 of Iowa’s 99 counties, Iowans have shared what a critical role Bob Vander Plaats plays in engaging Iowa’s faith community in the key battles that matter," DeSantis said in the press release. “His support tells Iowans they can trust me to fight and win for them."
Vander Plaats' endorsement comes just weeks after Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds also endorsed DeSantis.
"We need someone who puts this country first and not himself. . . that leader is Ron DeSantis," Reynolds said at a rally in early November.
Despite these high profile endorsements, DeSantis remains far behind former President Donald Trump in the polls. In a radio interview last week, Trump mocked DeSantis for his poor showing in Iowa, even after receiving Reynolds' endorsement.
“I don't think it's made any difference,” he said of her backing.
Still, Vander Plaats' endorsement is nothing to scoff at. Aside from his Iowa Caucus predictions, Vander Plaats is widely known for leading a campaign to remove three Iowa Supreme Court justices after they overturned a state ban on same-sex marriage in 2009. More recently, Vander Plaats called for the removal of three justices following a decision that maintained Iowans' access to abortion up to 20 weeks in pregnancy.
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hard issued a statement following Vander Plaats' endorsement, saying in part, “We may have just witnessed Ron DeSantis accept the kiss of political death this election cycle. Bob Vander Plaats’ endorsement pulls DeSantis even further outside of the mainstream and DeSantis has once again pandered to the most extreme fringes of the MAGA base with that endorsement."