This is a joint project between Nexstar Media Group and Syracuse University.
NASHUA, NH (NEXSTAR) – After relocating much of his campaign staff to South Carolina, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis returned briefly to New Hampshire for a town hall event in Manchester and one in Dover ahead of the primary on Tuesday.
Desantis bragged about how he led Florida out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how Florida led the rest of the country.
“If it wasn’t for us in Florida, who knows what would’ve happened in this country,” he said. “We’re the ones that dragged this country out of lockdown and made sure that we could be free.”
DeSantis told his rally-goers that he is a different candidate than his Republican rivals, former President Donald Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.
“I think the choice on Tuesday is very simple. Donald Trump is running for his issues, Nikki Haley is running for the donors issues,” DeSantis said. “I’m running for your issues, and your family’s issues, and solely to turn this country around”
DeSantis took shots at both Trump and Haley. He’s fallen far behind in the polls in New Hampshire, polling at about 6%. However, he says he isn’t worried about what the polls say.
“I can tell you I mean people when I was governor, they would try to produce polls in advance saying I want going to win re-election,” DeSantis said. “Heck, I had polls coming out right before the election saying I was up 3 or 4 points. I won by 20.”
Governor DeSantis will be flying back to South Carolina Saturday for three events in Myrtle Beach, Florence, and Lexington. It is unclear when or if he’ll return to the Granite State.
Max Weisman is a senior at Newhouse studying Broadcast and Digital Journalism at Syracuse University and has interned/reported for the New York Post.
