Chris Sununu sees ‘significant slide’ for Ron DeSantis in New Hampshire
Image via The Associated Press.

sununu
New Hampshire's Governor sees fault in the DeSantis Iowa strategy, noting he should 'play in both states.'

Gov. Ron DeSantis has focused heavily on Iowa during the 2024 campaign, and that hasn’t escaped the notice of New Hampshire’s Governor.

During a podcast interview with Tara PalmeriGov. Chris Sununu says the Florida Governor has had a “significant slide” in the Granite State.

“Ron’s campaign is Ron’s campaign, and obviously, he took a pretty significant slide,” Sununu said, referring to the Floridian’s plummet in the polls.

“He’s been spending a lot of time in Iowa. So that’s why he’s doing, I think, well, better in Iowa and not quite as well in New Hampshire, but he’s still got a game here, to be sure. He’s still coming, but not quite as much, and he’s putting a lot of his chips into Iowa, and there’s reason for that, and that’s understandable to a certain extent,” Sununu said. “You have to play in both states if you’re going to do well.”

Polling supports Sununu’s suggestion that DeSantis isn’t doing well in New Hampshire.

This month’s Washington Post-Monmouth survey of New Hampshire GOP Primary voters is arguably the bleakest yet for Ron DeSantis, as he’s now fallen to fifth place in the Granite State.

With 7% support, the Florida Governor finds himself behind Vivek Ramaswamy (8%), Chris Christie (11%), Nikki Haley (18%), and Donald Trump (46%).

Sununu’s comments align with that polling. He said a “surge” for Haley in New Hampshire is “very, very real.” Sununu argues there’s a path for “her to be the contender by the end of January.” Conversely, he said DeSantis lost “earned media” amid coverage of the former President’s legal troubles getting “all the headlines, all the attention.”

The Governor’s Granite State slide has been a recurring theme in recent polls. A fresh survey from the University of New Hampshire shows him in fourth place, just one point ahead of Ramaswamy.

The Washington Post poll ties DeSantis’ worst voter share with yet another new survey, the Emerson College Polling/WHDH poll of New Hampshire voters, which also finds the Florida Governor having slumped to 7%.

During the interview, Sununu further quibbled about DeSantis’ Iowa strategy, saying that the state’s Governor, Kim Reynolds, may have endorsed too early.

“Her timing of her endorsement was a little bit odd because it was a short week. It was the day before an election that was going to grab all the headlines. It was 10 days before the government was potentially going to shut down that way. It was just odd.”

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has been the Northeast Florida correspondent for Florida Politics since 2014. His work also can be seen in the Washington Post, the New York Post, the Washington Times, and National Review, among other publications. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


7 comments

  • My Take

    November 28, 2023 at 11:45 am

    Where will he grind to a halt?

  • PeterH

    November 28, 2023 at 12:13 pm

    New Hampshire is somewhat of a bellwether State for American politics. Thirty years ago the State voted solid Republican……but like most States with highly educated citizens that voting block has migrated toward Independents and Democrats. In the USA Republicans are the third party of choice.

  • ScienceBLVR

    November 28, 2023 at 12:39 pm

    Tip of the hat to Freddie King for the lyrics…
    Ronnie’s new campaign song-
    I’m going down
    I’m going, down, down, down, down
    Yes, I’m going down, yes
    I’m going down, down, down, down, down
    Yes, I’ve got my big feet in the window
    Got my head on the ground

  • Jay Smif

    November 28, 2023 at 1:17 pm

    Everyone hates fascist DeSantis, and he and Wal-mart Melania will have to slink back to Florida in shame, with only his private jet he made the taxpayers buy for him (and won’t allow them to know where or how often he uses it) to fall back on.

    I want to see the slavish FL Legislature take their revenge on him after they’ve been his whipping post for years.

    • Ocean Joe

      November 28, 2023 at 2:13 pm

      They are worms, they may feed on the carcass of his presidential ambitions but these are the folks gerrymandering brought us, who force us time and again to resort to constitutional amendments to pass common sense laws on abortion, marijuana, class size, assault rifles someday. They’ll be back to kissing his rear end as soon as they see it.

      • MH/Duuuval

        November 29, 2023 at 9:18 pm

        Sad, but this would be my guess, too. Especially with Dee working hard to replace working Florida voters with coupon-cutters and rich retirees.

  • Michael K

    November 28, 2023 at 4:38 pm

    America is seeing what he has done to Florida and rejecting the division, hate and bigotry that Little D employed to build his failing campaign. No one wants the new confederacy the DeSanti are peddling.

Comments are closed.


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