Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling for the Republican National Committee to hold its next debate in Iowa, saying he doesn't know why there have not been any debates there or in New Hampshire, the two early-voting states, as he thinks "it'd be good for the process.”
"Look, I love Florida, I love Miami, doing great, you know, we're proud to host it," DeSantis, a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, said during a video conference with reporters with Iowa's media Wednesday. "But there should be a debate in either December or early January in Iowa, then there should be a debate after the Iowa caucus, but before the New Hampshire primary in New Hampshire."
The Iowa Republican caucus is scheduled for Jan. 15, with the tentative date for the New Hampshire Republican primary election set for about a week later, on Jan. 23, according to Reuters.
The third Republican debate, meanwhile, will be hosted by NBC in Miami.
"I'm a big supporter of getting either the December or early January debate in Iowa," DeSantis said. "I think that'd be very important."
The candidates will still cover "the whole host of issues" in debates held elsewhere, "but you may have some Iowa-specific things that some of the Iowans care about, and that's really what the RNC should be doing."