DeSantis and Haley are battling to emerge in Iowa as the preferred Republican alternative to Trump

By THOMAS BEAUMONT
Associated Press

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — The rivalry between GOP presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley has become a leading storyline before the leadoff Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15. The two candidates are in an increasingly testy contest to emerge in Iowa as the preferred alternative to former President Donald Trump for the party’s 2024 nomination. Florida Gov. DeSantis portrays Haley, a former South Carolina governor who was Trump’s U.N. ambassador, as a puppet of wealthy donors and someone who’s flip-flopped on key issues. Haley hopes to edge the better-organized DeSantis in Iowa. She’s accused him of misrepresenting her record, especially on taxes, and of falsely portraying himself as tough on China.