Tuesday in Jacksonville, Governor Ron DeSantis stated unequivocally that he has no intention of seeking a second term as a candidate, discussed his chances in Iowa, and appeared to call for the Republican primary to be reduced to its top three candidates.
While vying for second place in the primary alongside former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, the Florida governor asserted that the fact that only he, Haley, and Donald Trump have secured an entire slate of delegates for the Alabama primary demonstrates that they are the only authentic candidates for the nomination.
“If you’re going to do this, you got to be able to block and tackle and do those types of things. I think it will continue to [narrow], perhaps even before Iowa.” DeSantis said.
The Iowa Republican caucus is slated to occur on January 15.
DeSantis stated that the party suffered as a result of the large number of Republican candidates in 2016 (nine main contenders vied for Iowa). Its result was Donald Trump’s subsequent nomination to the presidency.
Upon being queried about accepting a vice presidential nomination, the governor unequivocally expressed his preoccupation with the West Wing.
“The only tickets in the future are with DeSantis at the top. I have no interest in being the No. 2,” he remarked.
[READ MORE: DeSantis Signs New Law Protecting Jewish Schools and Placing Even More Sanctions on Iran]
