Iowa Republican Leaders Turn from Trump to DeSantis

Senate President Amy Sinclair and House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl

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.

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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