Iowa voters not persuaded by endorsements Republican candidates have received

Key endorsements of top contenders in the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential field may not hold much weight with Iowa voters as candidates try to appeal to states favoring former President Donald Trump, the dominant front-runner.

In recent weeks, GOP leaders and organizations have thrown their support behind Trump’s rivals, but he holds a 30-percentage-point lead over his competition, according to a new NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll of Iowa. Additionally, 54% of likely Republican caucusgoers say Gov. Kim Reynolds’s (R-IA) endorsement of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) last month will have no effect on their anticipated vote. Comparatively, 31% said Reynolds’s support of DeSantis made them more likely to vote for the Florida governor.

COP28 DRAFT TEXT STOPS SHORT OF CALLING FOR PHASEOUT OF FOSSIL FUELS

DeSantis’s support among likely Iowa caucusgoers increased slightly from October following Reynolds’s endorsement, from 16% to 19%, respectively.

With the Jan. 15 caucuses approaching quickly, Reynolds said DeSantis was the candidate in the best position to win, often polling as the second choice in Iowa. While DeSantis holds the lead over former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley in the Hawkeye State, gaining 3 points over her since October (putting him in second place with 19%), Haley has previously held the second-place spot in the New Hampshire Republican primary.

Last month, Emerson College Polling showed Haley with 18% of voters’ support, while DeSantis fell to fourth at 7%. Trump held 49%, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie sat at 9%.

Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH) plans to endorse Haley during a town hall event in New Hampshire on Tuesday, multiple sources are telling media outlets.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

However, other high-profile endorsements Haley has received have yet to influence voters. According to the NBC News survey, 71% say Americans for Prosperity’s endorsement of Haley does not matter to them.

Both candidates have emerged as leading alternates to Trump in the early-voting states as Iowa’s caucuses occur in a little over a month, followed by the New Hampshire primaries.