Sioux City (US) : For Nikki Haley, a win in Iowa doesn't necessarily mean a win in the state's Republican presidential caucuses. "The way I look at it, we just need to have a good showing in Iowa", the former South Carolina governor said Friday in response to a question during a town hall event in Sioux City. "I don't think that means we have to win necessarily, but I think that means we have to have a good showing," she said.
The comments stand in stark contrast to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who declared decisively that we're going to win Iowa on NBC's Meet the Press last Sunday. DeSantis wouldn't say whether he would end his campaign if he didn't finish first or second. DeSantis and Haley are likely battling for a second-place finish, since former President Donald Trump continues to sit comfortably atop the field in polls of Republicans in Iowa and nationwide.
The DeSantis campaign has largely focused on Iowa, hoping to deny Trump a big win in the caucuses. A super PAC supporting DeSantis has invested more than $16 million in advertising and more on building a campaign organization. But DeSantis has faced growing pressure from Haley, who is piquing the interest of donors and voters looking for an alternative to Trump. She recently won the support of the Koch network, the largest conservative grassroots organization in the nation.