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Iowa Republican Leaders Turn from Trump to DeSantis

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Iowa Republican Leaders Turn from Trump to DeSantis

Senate President Amy Sinclair and House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl

Robert Leonard
May 12, 2023
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Iowa Republican Leaders Turn from Trump to DeSantis

rleonard.substack.com
Senate President Amy Sinclair at her rural Wayne County home.

Brianne Pfannenstiel with the Des Moines Register broke the story yesterday that two high-profile Iowa Republican leaders are endorsing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for president. They are Senate President Amy Sinclair and House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl. They both say they are interested in the party and the nation moving forward and not looking backward.

This is a nice way to say they have had enough of Trump, and by standing up together and saying it out loud rather than behind closed doors, other Republicans might find the gumption to follow.

After I read Brianne’s piece, I texted Amy, a friend, and asked for an interview. We met at her house in rural Wayne County this morning, and the audio is below. I asked her to tell us a little bit about her background for people who might not know her, and then asked her how she came to her conclusion, what it might mean, and more.

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Here is an update from this afternoon.

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Update on Saturday.

Not to be outdone by DeSantis, on Saturday, Trump came up with a list that suggests he has more support in Iowa than DeSantis. But actually, while DeSantis has 37 legislators who endorse him; Trump’s list only contains 16 Iowa legislators and a few other elected officials, and most of the other names on the list aren’t elected. Who knows who they are? They are probably supporters and not elected officials. And I’ve never heard of the person named in Marion County, where I live. Not exactly a major influencer.

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Laura Belin: Iowa Politics with Laura Belin, Windsor Heights
Doug Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll
Dave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des Moines
Art Cullen: Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm Lake
Suzanna de Baca Dispatches from the Heartland, Huxley
Debra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison County
Julie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji
Joe Geha: Fern and Joe, Ames
Jody Gifford: Benign Inspiration, West Des Moines
Nik Heftman, The Seven Times, Los Angeles and Iowa
Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilla
Dana James: New Black Iowa, Des Moines
Pat Kinney: View from Cedar Valley, Waterloo
Fern Kupfer: Fern and Joe, Ames
Robert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, Bussey
Tar Macias: Hola Iowa, Iowa
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Wini Moranville, Wini’s Food Stories, Des Moines
Kyle Munson, Kyle Munson’s Main Street, Des Moines
Jane Nguyen, The Asian Iowan, West Des Moines
John Naughton: My Life, in Color, Des Moines
Chuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson and Des Moines
Barry Piatt: Piatt on Politics: Behind the Curtains, Washington, D.C.
Macey Spensley, The Midwest Creative, Davenport and Des Moines
Larry Stone, Listening to the Land, Elkader
Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, Kalona
Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Emerging Voices, Kalona
Cheryl Tevis: Unfinished Business, Boone County
Ed Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, Davenport
Teresa Zilk: Talking Good, Des Moines
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Iowa Republican Leaders Turn from Trump to DeSantis

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12 Comments
Michael J. Dargan
Writes Michael’s Substack
May 13Liked by Robert Leonard

The GOP has three core values: White Supremacy, a perverted lust for exotic assault weapons, and a malignant misogyny. <shrug>

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Berne Ketchum
May 12Liked by Robert Leonard

Are they nuts? DeSantis is only slightly less incompetent than tfg. Republicans must have some candidate who would be better than either of those guys.

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