DeSantis banking on NH visit to boost support and beat Trump

Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign says his dismal poll standings are just a “snapshot in time’’ and that he plans to continue to push his platform in New Hampshire before its key GOP primary.

“DeSantis boasts more endorsements from state legislators than every other candidate, including [frontrunner Donald] Trump, and with every hand he shakes and every voter he meets in the Granite State, people are finding Ron DeSantis to be the leader this country needs to reverse America’s decline because he shows up, he never backs down from his principles, and he delivers results for the people he serves,’’ the GOP Florida governor’s national spokeswoman, Carly Atchinson, told The Post on Monday.

The Republican’s campaign said it will hit the state with a strategized ground game to outwork the GOP field in winning over New Hampshire’s “independent streak.”

The campaign said it plans to highlight DeSantis’ veteran status more, given the large number of veterans in the state, and be “strategic” in rolling out his economic policy specifically in New Hampshire.

. The pair will host a joint town hall and visit the iconic Red Arrow Diner.

DeSantis’ planned visit marks the second time the Florida governor has been to the state in recent weeks as he ramps up his early-primary-state focus. After the stint with Sununu, he will have hit the state a total of seven times since his campaign launch in May, going to nine out of 10 counties including the North Country and holding 31 campaign stops.

DeSantis has also done more than 25 local media interviews in the state and has had a steady stream of endorsements, outpacing Trump in support from current state legislators.

Still, DeSantis has put his primary focus on Iowa, which will hold the first-in-the-nation caucus for the 2024 race, and has set out to hit all 99 counties there. His campaign has relocated a large chunk of his Florida staff to the Hawkeye state and put forward $2 million for ads. His camp maintains the Jan. 15 caucus will be an opportunity to show voters it’s a two-man Republican primary race between him and former President Trump.

Real Clear Politics’ average

DeSantis’ campaign argues that given the calendar, with Iowa first and New Hampshire second, the time to strategically “surge” is closer to voting day.

On winning over New Hampshire independents, the DeSantis campaign pointed to the Florida governor wooing over the demographic by 18% in his 2022 gubernatorial reelection campaign in Florida and flipping deep blue Palm Beach County and Miami-Dade County there.

DeSantis himself has argued there is time to make up ground.

After filing for the primary in New Hampshire earlier in October, DeSantis argued the race for the state’s support is “so wide open” and that “there’s a lot of ground to be able to trod,” giving him the opportunity to ultimately make him the winner.