As the 2024 presidential election approaches, Republican candidates are beginning to mull over their options for vice presidential running mates. Ron DeSantis, the Republican governor of Florida and a 2024 presidential candidate, recently revealed that he is considering Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds for the role of his vice president. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive analysis of Reynolds, her political career, and what she could bring to the table as DeSantis’s running mate.
Kim Reynolds is the current Governor of Iowa and has been in office since 2017. Prior to being elected governor, Reynolds served as Iowa’s Lieutenant Governor under Terry Branstad, who resigned in 2017 to become the United States Ambassador to China. Reynolds is the first woman to serve as Iowa’s governor and is a member of the Republican party.
Reynolds’s political career began in 2008 when she was elected to the Iowa Senate. She served in the Senate until 2010, when she was elected as Iowa’s Lieutenant Governor. Reynolds was re-elected as Lieutenant Governor in 2014, and when Branstad resigned in 2017, she became Iowa’s governor.
As governor, Reynolds has focused on economic development, workforce training, and improving the state’s education system. She has also been a vocal advocate for renewable energy and has signed legislation to promote wind and solar power in Iowa.
Reynolds has had a complicated relationship with President Trump. In 2016, she initially endorsed Senator Ted Cruz for president but later switched her support to Trump after he became the Republican nominee. However, during the 2020 election, Reynolds was criticized by Trump for not doing enough to support his re-election campaign.
In June 2020, Trump criticized Reynolds for not endorsing him earlier in the election cycle. “I’m a little surprised, frankly, that she’s not better,” he said in an interview with Fox News. “She’s not endorsing me. I’m her favorite president.”
DeSantis and Reynolds have a positive working relationship, and DeSantis has been a vocal supporter of Reynolds in the past. During a forum with Tucker Carlson in July 2023, DeSantis praised Reynolds as “one of the top public servants in America,” and defended her after Trump’s criticism.
When asked if he would consider Reynolds as his running mate, DeSantis responded, “Of course.” He went on to say that Reynolds has been a “model public servant” and that anyone who tries to denigrate her is “way off base.”
In addition, Reynolds’s support for renewable energy could help to appeal to younger voters and those concerned about climate change. Her experience in the Iowa Senate also gives her a deep understanding of the legislative process, which could be valuable in working with Congress if DeSantis is elected president.
Kim Reynolds’s experience as governor, lieutenant governor, and state senator make her a strong candidate for the role of vice president. Her focus on economic development, workforce training, and renewable energy could be valuable to a potential DeSantis administration.
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