Two months before the crucial Iowa caucuses, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has officially endorsed a candidate for the next president of the United States, and her choice is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The announcement came during a campaign event on Monday night, where Reynolds passionately laid out her reasons for backing DeSantis in the upcoming presidential race.

Reynolds wasted no time in highlighting the challenges facing the country under President Joe Biden’s leadership. She pointed to surging crime rates, a wide-open southern border that has seen 6 million illegal aliens enter the country, the devastating impact of fentanyl on Americans, crushing inflation, and the perception of weakened American influence on the world stage due to Biden’s leadership.

“We can turn this country around, but if we don’t get this next election right, if we don’t choose right, we are not going to get this country back,” she emphasized. “So we have to do everything we can to make the right choice.”

Reynolds stressed the importance of electing a president who can win against Joe Biden and has “the skill and the resolve” to address the challenges facing the nation. 

“We need someone who will fight for you and win for you. We need someone who won’t get distracted but will stay disciplined, who puts this country first and not himself. That leader is Ron DeSantis,” she asserted.

Reynolds cited DeSantis’ handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as a key factor in her endorsement. She shared her unique perspective as a fellow governor who witnessed DeSantis’ leadership during the pandemic.

“I was there with him during one of the most challenging and crazy times in our history,” she recalled. “And while COVID might seem like a thing of the past, and that it’s behind us, and believe me, we hope it is, we should not and we cannot forget because it showed us how our leaders respond to a true crisis. And more importantly, it tells us how they’ll respond to the next one, and there will be a next one.”

She commended DeSantis for resisting the pressure to implement widespread lockdowns and school closures. “You know, most leaders, they buckled under that pressure. They listened to Fauci instead of the real science, but there was one man running for president who did not: Ron DeSantis,” she stated.

“When the Trump administration let Fauci lead their response, Ron had the courage to say, ‘not in Florida,’” she asserted. “But here’s another thing that set Ron apart, he didn’t just fight to fight, he stood his ground because he dug into the issues. He actually hired and listened to some of the best people to make sure that he was acting on real science and not fear, and that is how this man handles every issue. Ron is focused, he is principled, he is results-driven. And in short, what I love most about Ron is he gets things done.”

Reynolds further highlighted DeSantis’ effectiveness as a leader, citing his rapid response to disaster situations and his ability to execute plans swiftly. She emphasized the need for a president who can effectively make the lives of Americans better and urged Republicans to look to the future and nominate a candidate with a proven track record of winning and delivering results. 

The governor also took her message to X, tweeting, “We need someone who gets results. Someone who knows when life begins. Someone who looks to the future. Someone who can WIN! That’s @RonDesantis. And I’m proud to stand here tonight and give him my full support and endorsement for President of the United States!”

This endorsement marks a significant moment in the Republican primary race, as it’s the first time an Iowa governor has endorsed a candidate during a contested Republican presidential primary since 1996.

Reynolds, who holds significant influence in Iowa, had promised to stay neutral in the Republican primary. However, her decision to endorse DeSantis reflects the confidence she has in his leadership, as she insists he has a better chance of winning the general election than former President Donald Trump, even though Trump has consistently beat the Florida governor in the polls by a wide margin.