DeSantis poised for second, Haley third in Iowa GOP caucus

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is expected to finish second in the Iowa Republican caucus, and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley is expected to come in third, according to projections from Decision Desk Headquarters.

DeSantis' second place finish comes after the Florida governor has made significant investments in the Hawkeye State. His performance in Iowa is expected to be the deciding factor, with recent polls showing Haley narrowly overtaking him.

However, former President Trump topped both candidates with just over 50 percent of the vote as of this article.

The DeSantis campaign has fiercely criticized news organizations that called Trump's campaign to Iowa immediately after the caucuses began, and some journalists have also criticized the media outlets that called Trump's campaign to Iowa as soon as the caucuses began, and some journalists have also said that the Associated Press, NBC News, etc. He questioned the move to invite Iowa State.

“It is completely outrageous that the media would call a campaign and participate in election interference before tens of thousands of Iowans have cast their votes. The media is on Mr. Trump's side and has always been. This is the most egregious example of this,” DeSantis campaign communications director Andrew Romeo said in a statement.

Prior to the release of the results, the average Iowa poll conducted by Decision Desk and The Hill had Trump at 53%, Haley at 18% and DeSantis at 15%. The Emerson College poll and the NBC News/Des Moines Register/Medicom poll both put Trump in first place and Haley in second place.

Meanwhile, the Insider Advantage poll has Haley and DeSantis tied for second place.

Some experts have warned that if DeSantis finishes third in Iowa, he may have to effectively withdraw from the race.

“The question is, is DeSantis really going to drop out? I think that's the only big question that can be answered,” said Andrew Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire Research Center and professor of the practice of political science at the university. previously told The Hill.

“I don't think he'll win, but if he finishes a distant third, he'll be eliminated. That means he has nowhere to go after that,” Smith added.

But DeSantis' campaign still faces questions about its viability in New Hampshire and South Carolina. An average of New Hampshire polls from Decision Desk HQ and The Hill has Mr. DeSantis in third place with almost 7%, while an average of South Carolina polls from Decision Desk HQ and The Hill has Mr. DeSantis at 9%. % or higher, ranking third behind Haley in second place with 25%. .