Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign took aim at former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley when it released its closing Iowa video ad on Monday.
With the Iowa Republican caucus just a week away, DeSantis and Haley are fighting to be the clear No. 2 choice behind current GOP primary front-runner former President Donald Trump.
Recent polls show DeSantis with an edge over Haley in Iowa, while Haley leads Trump in New Hampshire. They trail Trump by wide margins in both states.
The Jan. 15 Iowa caucus will be followed by the Jan. 23 New Hampshire primary to kick off the 2024 GOP primary season.
The DeSantis campaign used its new video ad to say that its candidate is running "for your issues" while "Trump is running for his issues. Nikki Haley's running for her donors' issues."
The ad also called out "Wall Street-funded" Haley for saying, "You know Iowa starts it. You know that you [New Hampshire] correct it."
"Haley disparages the caucuses and insults you," a male voice says in the video. "It's Ron DeSantis who embodies and defends Iowa's values of faith, family, and freedom."
The 30-second spot, titled "Iowa Insults vs Iowa Values," will air on broadcast and cable television in the Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport media markets.
DeSantis has been endorsed by Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of The Family Leader, a socially conservative organization in the Hawkeye State.
DeSantis has visited all 99 Iowa counties. He even campaigned in the state between Christmas and New Year's, and held a New Year's Eve event in West Des Moines for supporters.
NBC News last week reported that Republican presidential candidates and their political action committees had poured more than $105 million into Iowa advertising before the state's Jan. 15 caucus.
NBC News said GOP candidates and groups likely would spend at least another $7.5 million in Iowa before the caucus.
Haley, DeSantis, and their PACs have accounted for a large part of the spending, as each candidate aims for a strong finish in the first-in-the-nation state of the primary season.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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