DeSantis-Reynolds 2024?

DES MOINES, IOWA — Ron DeSantis told reporters on Saturday that he would consider Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds as a possible running mate if he earns the Republican presidential nomination.

“Of course,” DeSantis said about the second-term Republican governor. “I mean, she’s one of the top public servants in America.”

Reynolds has appeared with other Republican presidential candidates and attended Trump’s first campaign event in Iowa, but she has participated in more intimate events with Florida’s governor and his wife, Casey.

During Ron DeSantis’ interview with Tucker Carlson at the Family Leadership Summit on Friday, Reynolds sat in the front row with DeSantis’ wife and Bob Vander Plaats, the Family Leader’s President and CEO.

TRUMP ATTACKS REYNOLDS

Last week, Trump attacked Reynolds for not endorsing his presidential bid, causing a backlash among political leadership in the Hawkeye State. While campaigning in Iowa on Friday and Saturday, DeSantis said voters approached him to express dismay at Trump’s criticism of Reynolds.

“Anybody who is a Republican who is trying to denigrate her is way off base on that,” DeSantis told reporters in suburban Des Moines on Friday.

On Saturday, Ryan Frederick, a western Iowa county GOP chairman, told AP he’s leaning toward supporting DeSantis.

“At least I don’t have to worry about him trashing Kim Reynolds. If you’re a party loyalist, that’s a big deal,” Frederick said.

SHARED VALUES

DeSantis and Reynolds have developed a playful rivalry over the past year, often bantering over their similar policy records as the two states move boldly in a more conservative direction.

On Friday, Reynolds received a standing ovation when she signed Iowa’s recently passed six-week abortion ban before an audience of 2,000 Christian conservatives at the Family Leadership Summit.

First elected in 2018 and reelected last year, Reynolds is considered a strong potential 2024 running mate for DeSantis given their shared values.