Iowa
DeSantis is hoping Iowa evangelicals can make his campaign born again
“I really think America wants to turn the page,” Bob Vander Plaats, CEO of The Family Leader, said in an interview. “If you’re looking for an alternative to Trump, I think Gov. DeSantis is the frontrunner right now.”
For DeSantis, the pressure to find momentum anywhere is growing. Though Trump remains far ahead in polling in Iowa, people in DeSantis’ orbit view the state as an opportunity.
The super PAC supporting DeSantis’ candidacy, Never Back Down, told POLITICO it has already knocked on 165,273 doors in Iowa. It has spent more than $4 million so far on ads in the state, including one attacking Trump’s record on abortion, according to the ad tracking firm AdImpact.
The PAC is also on pace to have five offices throughout the state and has received 5,000 nonbinding commitments from caucus-goers, said a top adviser to the group granted anonymity to freely discuss strategy. Meanwhile, DeSantis and his wife, Casey, have been making frequent trips to Iowa and will stump across the state before The Family Leader summit.
DeSantis isn’t alone as he stumps through Iowa. Former Vice President Mike Pence announced his presidential candidacy there and, like other candidates, has been campaigning throughout the Hawkeye State. Despite his public criticism of Reynolds, the popular governor, Trump rallied supporters in Iowa last week. And while no single entity has spent as much as Never Back Down, Sen. Tim Scott and his super PAC have collectively shelled out nearly $6 million on ads.
“The beauty of Iowa is … you can actually go on the ground and sense a trend before it picks up in the polls,” the adviser said. “Ron DeSantis has great favorables in Iowa right now, … and he still has a chance to tell his story.”
Inside what is expected to be a packed convention center in Des Moines on Friday, DeSantis will be interviewed by ousted FOX News anchor Tucker Carlson. And while he won’t have the dais to himself — Pence, Scott, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy and Asa Hutchinson will all take a turn on stage — DeSantis will appear as the decided frontrunner in the absence of Trump. The former president leads Iowa polls by double digits and opted to skip the assembly.
DeSantis could hardly have asked for a more favorable setting.
The Florida governor will field questions from a well-known TV personality whose disdain for Trump is well-documented. And in front of an audience of like-minded conservatives who take seriously their first-in-the-nation role, he has an audience that may be more receptive to his argument of electability — albeit one weakened by his refusal to acknowledge Trump lost his 2020 reelection.
Vander Plaats said he prays for Trump but voiced doubt that he can win the general election. And he said he plans to make a primary endorsement at some point — but not before the contenders pay homage to his organization.
Official support from Vander Plaats — an attainable feat for DeSantis — would come with the security of a strong track record. The organization’s leader backed Republicans who went on to win the Iowa caucuses in the competitive 2008, 2012 and 2016 primaries. All three — Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum and Sen. Ted Cruz — failed to clinch their party’s nomination, but their early success in Iowa underscores the influence of Vander Plaats and the evangelical movement.
And within that movement, church leaders — if not the rank-and-file — are welcoming DeSantis.
“Within the church world, there are many that do like DeSantis quite a bit,” said Mike Kalstrup, a pastor of Fellowship Church in Oakland, Iowa. “My guess is that he’s probably going to have a pretty strong showing in Iowa.”
Kalstrup highlighted DeSantis’ similarities with Reynolds, noting the two “are espousing some sensibility. Within our community, that goes a long way.”
Several pastors cited the importance of funding for children to attend nonpublic schools, which DeSantis has championed by expanding Florida’s voucher program and exacerbating his ongoing feud with the teachers’ union.
And then there’s abortion.
Both DeSantis and Reynolds took aggressive stances on abortion following the Supreme Court’s overturning last year of Roe v. Wade. As he wound down Florida’s legislative session this year, DeSantis signed into law a six-week abortion ban he’s calling the “Heartbeat Bill” — akin to a measure Reynolds is supporting this week in her home state. While strict abortion measures are unpopular among general election voters, DeSantis’ stance has appealed to Iowa’s evangelical pastors, several said in interviews.
“Life is the most important thing, and if you don’t get that one right, why would you get anything else right?” said Lance Fricke, pastor of Triumphant Church in Independence, Iowa. Fricke, who lamented the “vitriol” toward Trump this cycle, nevertheless predicted a strong showing for DeSantis among evangelicals in Iowa.
Monte Knudsen, a pastor at Faith Christian Outreach Church in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, compared DeSantis to Pence — the former vice president and evangelical who hasn’t broken out of the bottom tier this election — saying he would “have greater confidence in DeSantis because of his track record.”
DeSantis’ team stepped up its criticism of Trump this week, lacing into his approach to campaigning in Iowa.
“[Trump] isn’t organizing in the state. They don’t believe in that. They didn’t do it in 2016,” when Cruz won the Iowa caucuses, the Never Back Down adviser said. “They don’t appear to be taking the Iowa caucus process seriously.”
“You’re starting to see an erosion there and his behavior matches it,” the aide added.
In response, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung attributed Trump’s absence at The Family Leader summit to a “scheduling conflict” and added: “The president will be in Florida this weekend headlining the premiere national young voter conference with Turning Point Action, while DeSantis is nowhere to be found.”
A DeSantis spokesperson, when asked for comment, referred to the candidate’s recent interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network in which he laid out his case for winning over evangelical voters. The Florida governor noted his landslide re-election victory last year was bolstered by support from Sunshine State evangelicals, and cited his record on priorities for that community, including the state’s six-week abortion ban and increase in state-funded vouchers for non-public schools.
“I don’t think there’s any elected official in the country who’s not only stood up for the values that we all share, but has actually beat the left back on these things,” DeSantis said. “We’re winning in Florida against gender ideology. … So I don’t think there’s been anyone that’s really been delivering on these key issues more consistently than me.”
DeSantis, who is Catholic, does not have the same personal connection to evangelicals as Pence or Scott. But he has spoken more about religion of late, telling the Christian Broadcasting Network of his desire to have met Jesus’ disciples.
In a Fox News poll in May, DeSantis was lagging far behind Trump among GOP primary voters nationally who identify as born-again or evangelical Christians — 59 percent to 16 percent. But among some evangelical leaders in Iowa, his message appears to be resonating.
“My pulse on Christian evangelical voters is that they’re split somewhere between Trump and DeSantis, and in my circles, people are leaning more toward DeSantis because he seems to be more authentically conservative,” said Mike Augsburger, lead pastor of Soteria in Des Moines. “If DeSantis can get his message out there, I think he can be a draw for evangelical voters.”
Des Moines Register’s Top 10 Iowa high school football players in 2024
Here’s a look at The Register’s Top 10 Iowa high school football players in 2024.
(This story was updated to add new information)
It’s Week 7 of the Iowa high school football season. Check out our list of IHSAA scores from Friday night’s action.
Stream Iowa HS football on the NFHS Network
Scores are listed in alphabetical order by winning team
IHSAA scores from Week 7 of Iowa high school football season
Friday’s games:
- Ankeny Centennial 45, Des Moines Roosevelt 3
- Bedford 77, Lamoni 0
- Benton 38, Grinnell 7
- Bettendorf 48, Davenport Central 0
- Cedar Falls 38, Dubuque Senior 0
- Cedar Rapids Kennedy 45, Dubuque Hempstead 14
- Cedar Rapids Prairie 56, Cedar Rapids Jefferson 7
- Cedar Rapids Xavier 35, Oskaloosa 0
- Central City 64, Lone Tree 8
- Central Lyon/George-Little Rock 23, Western Christian 7
- Clarinda 47, Chariton 7
- Columbus 48, Van Buren County 7
- Creston 70, Knoxville 0
- Crestwood 28, New Hampton 27
- Davenport Assumption 34, Washington 6
- Decorah 57, Marion 14
- Dike-New Hartford 42, Aplington-Parkersburg 0
- Don Bosco 62, Turkey Valley 0
- Dowling Catholic 49, Urbandale 28
- Dyersville Beckman 28, Iowa City Regina 15
- East Mills 50, Exira-EHK 44
- East Union 64, Murray 36
- Easton Valley 61, Midland 21
- Edgewood-Colesburg 84, Calamus-Wheatland 31
- Emmetsburg 64, Eagle Grove 0
- Fremont-Mills 40, CAM 28
- Fort Dodge 55, Storm Lake 26
- Fort Dodge St. Edmond 43, Colo-Nesco 6
- Glenwood 20, Dallas Center-Grimes 17
- Glidden-Ralston 48, Coon Rapids-Bayard 6
- GMG 52, Meskwaki Settlement 0
- Greene County 10, Southeast Valley 7
- Harlan 24, Nevada 21
- Highland 41, Louisa-Muscatine 6
- Hinton 19, OABCIG 13
- Humboldt 21, Algona 20
- IKM-Manning 13, Southwest Valley 6
- Iowa City Liberty 28, Ankeny 20
- Jesup 35, Iowa Falls-Alden 6
- Johnston 56, Council Bluffs Lincoln 7
- Lenox 55, Southeast Warren 8
- Lewis Central 28, Winterset 24
- Linn-Mar 55, Davenport West 6
- Logan-Magnolia 14, Council Bluffs St. Albert 10
- Maquoketa Valley 35, North Linn 16
- Marshalltown 26, Ames 21
- Mediapolis 49, Davis County 20
- MMCRU 41, Westwood 18
- MOC-Floyd Valley 35, Sioux Center 14
- Mount Vernon 56, Fort Madison 7
- North Butler 22, Nashua-Plainfield 0
- North Fayette Valley won by forfeit over Oelwein
- North Iowa 46, Harris-Lake Park 40
- North Polk 22, Indianola 21
- Okoboji 49, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows 21
- Osage 42, Waukon 6
- Pekin 57, Wapello 0
- Pleasant Valley 42, Muscatine 7
- Remsen St. Mary’s 46, Woodbine 30
- Riceville 57, Waterloo Christian 0
- Ridge View 22, West Sioux 7
- Riverside 41, Earlham 6
- Roland-Story 28, Des Moines Christian 21
- Saint Ansgar 53, West Fork 0
- Sergeant Bluff-Luton 21, Carroll 0
- Sibley-Ocheyedan 48, HMS 14
- Sidney 62, Stanton-Essex 20
- Sigourney-Keota 62, Colfax-Mingo 26
- South Central Calhoun 41, Panorama 12
- South Hardin 34, Hudson 21
- Southeast Polk 31, Waukee 28
- Spencer 41, Sioux City West 0
- Spirit Lake 49, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura 6
- Sumner-Fredericksburg 54, Central Springs 12
- Treynor 36, Shenandoah 6
- Tri-Center 34, Woodbury Central 8
- Underwood 41, Missouri Valley 6
- Van Meter 54, Centerville 0
- Wapsie Valley 46, BCLUW 0
- Wayne 30, Central Decatur 6
- Webster City 42, Charles City 21
- West Hancock 60, Lake Mills 6
- West Lyon 50, Sheldon 0
- Wilton 39, West Branch 20
- Winfield-Mt. Union 68, Mormon Trail 8
Thursday’s games:
- Le Mars 44, Fort Dodge 37
- Pella 42, D.M. Hoover 10
- S.C North 37, D.M. East 0
The Iowa Hawkeyes are coming off of a 35-7 thumping at the hands of the Ohio State Buckeyes, and while a loss to Ohio State was expected, it was how Iowa lost that has Hawkeyes fans livid.
Iowa’s offense was absolutely lifeless, Cade McNamara looked lost and head coach Kirk Ferentz did not seem to have any answers.
Not only that, but Ferentz doubled down on McNamara remaining the starter after the game, saying that the quarterback actually showed improvement.
That’s why Ferentz’s reputation may actually be on the line when the Hawkeyes face the Washington Huskies this Saturday.
Iowa is just 3-2 on the season, as it also lost to the Iowa State Cyclones back in Week 2. A loss to Washington would drop the Hawkeyes to .500, and it would add more fuel to the “fire Ferentz” discussion that has been smoldering.
The Huskies are a new addition to the Big Ten and just beat the Michigan Wolverines, and while Michigan has not been as good as expected, Washington is no joke.
However, make no mistake: Iowa needs to beat these guys.
Here is the thing: barring a catastrophic remainder of the 2024 campaign at Iowa City, the Hawkeyes aren’t canning Ferentz. The man is under contract through 2029 on a hefty salary. It isn’t happening.
But Ferentz’s reputation is a different story.
The 69-year-old has been at the helm for Iowa since 1999 and is highly respected by the fans, but patience is running thin.
Last year, the Hawkeyes played three ranked opponents and lost by a total score of 92-0. They also just got destroyed by Ohio State. The Iowa fan base is tired with being second-best, and at this point, that is all Ferentz has offered them.
Sure, Iowa does not have the cachet or prestige of schools like Ohio State, Michigan or Alabama. It typically won’t land the very best recruits as a result. But the Hawkeyes’ inability to even put together respectable offenses over the years does reflect poorly on Ferentz, who is the longest-tenured coach in the country.
And Iowa fans are sick of it.
The Hawkeyes absolutely need to beat the Huskies this Saturday. Iowa should be better than Washington, and at some point, the Hawkeyes are going to have to display that they can consistently beat good teams.
Is all of the Ferentz criticism deserved? No, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that all of it is completely unfounded.
Ferentz can provide some nice pushback to all of the naysayers with a Week 7 win over Washington. Or, he can give fans more reason to complain with a loss.
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Here’s who all 71 Iowa high school football teams ranked in this week’s Gazette poll face in Week 7 games Friday night.
Class 3A gets the spotlight this week as its top two teams face top-seven opponents. No. 1 Algona visits No. 7 Humboldt, while second-ranked Williamsburg hosts a Solon team eager to bounce back from last week’s loss to Benton Community that dropped it from the top spot.
There is intrigue in the 8-Player top five as well, where three of the top five teams face fellow unbeaten foes. That includes No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s taking on No. 10 Woodbine and No. 2 Algona Garrigan hosting Ruthven GTRA.
Class 5A
No. 1 West Des Moines Valley (5-1) vs. Waterloo West (5-1)
No. 2 West Des Moines Dowling (5-1) at Urbandale (3-3)
No. 3 Bettendorf (6-0) at Davenport Central (2-4)
No. 4 Pleasant Valley (5-1) vs. Muscatine (2-4)
No. 5 Ankeny Centennial (4-2) vs. Des Moines Roosevelt (1-5)
No. 6 Linn-Mar (5-1) vs. Davenport West (0-6)
No. 7 Johnston (4-2) vs. Council Bluffs Lincoln (4-2)
No. 8 Iowa City Liberty (5-1) vs. Ankeny (3-3)
No. 9 Waukee (4-2) at Southeast Polk (3-3)
No. 10 Sioux City East (4-2) vs. Des Moines Lincoln (1-5)
Class 4A
No. 1 Lewis Central (6-0) at Winterset (4-2)
No. 2 Pella (6-0) at Des Moines Hoover (0-6), Thursday
No. 3 North Polk (6-0) at No. 10 Indianola (4-2)
No. 4 Gilbert (6-0) vs. Bondurant-Farrar (1-5)
No. 5 Decorah (6-0) at Marion (2-4)
No. 6 Adel ADM (5-1) at Ballard (3-3)
No. 7 Cedar Rapids Xavier (4-2) at Oskaloosa (1-5)
No. 8 North Scott (4-2) at Clear Creek Amana (4-2)
No. 9 Newton (4-2) vs. Carlisle (0-6)
No. 10 Indianola (4-2) vs. No. 3 North Polk (6-0)
No. 10 Western Dubuque (4-2) at Waterloo East (2-4)
Class 3A
No. 1 Algona (6-0) at No. 7 Humboldt (5-1)
No. 2 Williamsburg (5-1) vs. No. 5 Solon (5-1)
No. 3 Dubuque Wahlert (6-0) at West Delaware (4-2)
No. 4 Sergeant Bluff-Luton (6-0) vs. Carroll (4-2)
No. 5 Mount Vernon (5-1) vs. Fort Madison (0-6)
No. 5 Solon (5-1) at No. 2 Williamsburg (5-1)
No. 7 Humboldt (5-1) vs. No. 1 Algona (6-0)
No. 8 Sioux City Heelan (4-2) at Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (1-5)
No. 9 Independence (4-2) at Maquoketa (1-5)
No. 10 Nevada (5-1) at Harlan (3-3)
Class 2A
No. 1 West Lyon (6-0) at Sheldon (2-4)
No. 2 Monroe PCM (6-0) at West Marshall (5-1)
No. 3 Spirit Lake (5-1) at Garner GHV (1-5)
No. 4 Van Meter (5-1) vs. Centerville (4-2)
No. 5 Carroll Kuemper (5-1) vs. Saydel (1-5)
No. 6 North Fayette Valley (5-1) vs. Oelwein (0-6) — canceled, Oelwein to forfeit
No. 7 Northeast (6-0) at Tipton (2-4)
No. 8 Central Lyon/George-Little Rock (4-2) vs. No. 10 Western Christian (4-2)
No. 9 Roland-Story (4-2) vs. Des Moines Christian (4-2)
No. 10 Western Christian (4-2) at No. 8 Central Lyon/George-Little Rock (4-2)
Class 1A
No. 1 Grundy Center (6-0) at Alburnett (4-2)
No. 2 Wilton (6-0) at West Branch (2-4)
No. 3 Dike-New Hartford (5-1) vs. Aplington-Parkersburg (2-4)
No. 4 Emmetsburg (6-0) vs. Eagle Grove (0-6)
No. 5 Iowa City Regina (6-0) at Dyersville Beckman (4-2)
No. 6 Ida Grove OABCIG (5-1) vs. No. 10 Hinton (5-1)
No. 7 South Hardin (5-1) at Hudson (5-1)
No. 8 Treynor (5-1) vs. Shenandoah (3-3)
No. 9 Sigourney-Keota (5-1) at Colfax-Mingo (1-5)
No. 10 Hinton (5-1) at No. 6 Ida Grove OABCIG (5-1)
Class A
No. 1 West Hancock (6-0) at Lake Mills (4-2)
No. 2 Guthrie Center ACGC (6-0) vs. Mount Ayr (5-1)
No. 3 Saint Ansgar (5-1) at West Fork (1-5)
No. 4 Lisbon (6-0) vs. Danville (4-2)
No. 5 Earlham (5-1) at Oakland Riverside (4-2)
No. 6 Tri-Center (5-1) vs. No. 8 Woodbury Central (5-1)
No. 7 Le Mars Gehlen (5-1) at South O’Brien (0-6)
No. 8 Woodbury Central (5-1) at No. 6 Tri-Center (5-1)
No. 9 North Linn (6-0) vs. Maquoketa Valley (5-1)
No. 10 Madrid (4-2) at North Mahaska (3-3)
8-Player
No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s (6-0) vs. No. 10 Woodbine (6-0)
No. 2 Algona Garrigan (6-0) vs. Ruthven GTRA (6-0)
No. 3 Don Bosco (6-0) vs. Turkey Valley (3-3)
No. 4 Audubon (6-0) vs. Collins-Maxwell (4-2)
No. 5 Lenox (6-0) vs. Southeast Warren (6-0)
No. 6 Iowa Valley (6-0) vs. HLV (1-6)
No. 7 Gladbrook-Reinbeck (5-1) at Clarksville (5-2)
No. 8 Anita CAM (5-1) at Fremont-Mills (5-1)
No. 9 Bedford (5-1) vs. Lamoni (4-2)
No. 10 Woodbine (6-0) at No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s (6-0)
Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com
Jigra Movie Review – Gulte
The Diabetic Food Bible – The Complete Low-GI Nutrition Guide: What You Really Need to Know to Balance Blood Sugar, Manage Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes, Keeping the Food you Love
Bomb survivors use Nobel Peace Prize win to share their anti-nuke message with younger generations
How Eric Adams Could Leave Office, and Who Hopes to Succeed Him
Week 7’s top 10 college football games: Ohio State-Oregon, Ole Miss-LSU, Red River and more
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
At least 2 dead as tornadoes hit Alabama, damage homes across Southeast
Trump campaign seeks increased security as election draws near, including military aircraft amid Iran threats
US Justice Department sues Virginia for purging voters before election
The Justice Department says Virginia is illegally striking voters off of voter rolls
Mayorkas grabs high-end sushi from DC Nobu directly after quick stop in Hurricane Helene-hit North Carolina
Zelenskyy meets Scholz in Berlin despite NATO meeting cancellation
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25439572/VRG_TEC_Textless.jpg "Charter will offer Peacock for free with some cable subscriptions next year")
Technology1 week agoCharter will offer Peacock for free with some cable subscriptions next year
-
World1 week agoUkrainian stronghold Vuhledar falls to Russian offensive after two years of bombardment
-
World1 week agoWikiLeaks’ Julian Assange says he pleaded ‘guilty to journalism’ in order to be freed
-
Technology1 week agoBeware of fraudsters posing as government officials trying to steal your cash
-
Health7 days agoHealth, happiness and helping others are vital parts of free and responsible society, Founding Fathers taught
-
Sports1 week agoFreddie Freeman says his ankle sprain is worst injury he's ever tried to play through
-
News7 days agoLebanon says 50 medics killed in past three days as Israel extends its bombardment
-
Entertainment2 days agoHold my beer can: Museum says a worker thought unique art installation was trash