The 2024 presidential election is ramping up, and all eyes are on the Republican Party as 12 candidates have officially thrown their hats into the ring to be the face of the party and challenge President Joe Biden for a spot in the Oval Office.

A notable front runner is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has been criticized by Democrats for enacting restrictive policies in his home state, such as  book bans and strict immigration policies. He has also sparked controversy among Republicans over his public disagreements and criticisms of former president and current Republican candidate Donald Trump.

“In the beginning, he was definitely the top candidate I had for the Republican Party, but as the days have gone on, he has dropped in my ranks,” said Megan Johnson, a junior studying psychology and law, politics and society.

Johnson is a registered Republican from Ankeny, Iowa, and a member of Drake College Republicans. 

She doesn’t agree with DeSantis’ immigration policy and said he lacks basic compassion towards people and is not very personable. 

“He does a lot of speeches, but with speeches it’s hard to connect with voters,” Johnson said. “One time I actually met him in person, and he really just doesn’t connect well with people. He’s not personable at all. He’s just a really hard politician to connect to.”

Senior Jack Parkos, a political science and history major, said DeSantis would be a stronger candidate if it weren’t for the timing of his campaign. Parkos is a self-described moderate Republican voter from outside Madison, Wisconsin.

“[DeSantis] is running at a time when we have a wildcard figure with Trump. No one really knows what’s going on with Trump right now,” Parkos said. “Is he going to be able to run? Will he be in prison? DeSantis’ issue is that Trump’s base is extremely loyal.”

Overall, Parkos thinks DeSantis is a good candidate but doesn’t think he stands the greatest chance going up against the former president.

“DeSantis’ greatest strength is his leadership. He has a good military background. He’s a family man. [Early on] I could tell this was a man who was going to be popular and run for president,” Parkos said.

The biggest issue Parkos wants to see addressed is inflation and the economy. He believes DeSantis would be one of the better candidates to handle this, citing his role in building Florida’s economy — especially during and since the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Johnson, it’s not all negative. She agrees with DeSantis’ stance on police as well as the fact that he’s anti-abortion. However, she said the cons still outweigh the pros.

“I don’t think he’ll be able to unite [the Republican Party]. He’s just too much like Trump, and look at where Trump’s at now,” Johnson said.

The biggest thing Johnson said she wants addressed in the upcoming election is unity, and she doesn’t think DeSantis would be able to bring the country together.

Parkos disagrees and thinks DeSantis would be able to at least unite the Republicans but wanted to reiterate that his biggest obstacle is Trump.

Ethan Williams, a junior studying public relations, said he is impressed with DeSantis’ track record of getting things done and his influence over his supporters. Williams is a self-described independent voter from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

“DeSantis has two things I think other candidates don’t have going for them: a very well-funded super PAC, and he’s continually heavily staffed and has people everywhere,” Williams said. “You don’t see that kind of support for anyone else, except maybe Donald Trump.”

Williams was also impressed with DeSantis’ performance at the first Republican debate held on Aug. 23. He agrees with Johnson that DeSantis wouldn’t unite Americans or even Republicans, and he agrees with Parkos that DeSantis’ biggest obstacle is Trump and whatever Trump’s legal fate boils down to.

DeSantis is currently trailing Trump by 35% in Iowa but has steadily gained points since the debate. However, nationally he has started dropping, according to Project Thirty Eight, a national polling system from ABC News.

With the Iowa Caucuses still a few months out, it’s still anyone’s election, especially with more young voters from all sides joining in. It seems Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump may both be favored to take on Joe Biden in next year’s election.