DES MOINES, Iowa — Bob Vander Plaats, an influential evangelical leader in Iowa, is widely expected to endorse Ron DeSantis in the presidential primary.

At this point, that’s a big gamble.

Vander Plaats, president of the Family Leader, has picked correctly in every recent GOP primary, backing Mike Huckabee in 2008, Rick Santorum in 2012 and Ted Cruz in 2016. All three won Iowa but went on to lose the primary.

But now, with Donald Trump dominating the field, he is poised to back a candidate who is running 30 points behind the frontrunner here — testing not only the clout of his own endorsement, but the willingness of evangelicals to abandon Trump.

“Bob normally rushes to the front of the parade toward the end of the caucus campaign,” said GOP operative Doug Gross, who was chief of staff to former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and plans to caucus for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. “In this case I think he’s trying to move the parade, and that’s much more difficult to do.”

For DeSantis, Vander Plaats’ support — on the heels of the recent endorsement of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds — would offer a boost to his campaign as he seeks to erode Trump’s lead in the Hawkeye State. He is banking his White House aspirations on a solid performance in Iowa, amid dismal polling in New Hampshire and Haley’s ascent.

But for Vander Plaats, endorsing DeSantis poses a risk. He is all but certain to further anger the former president and overwhelming frontrunner — some of whose supporters have taken to derisively calling him “Vander Poop.”

And he is in danger of parting ways with evangelical Christians who support Trump over more religious candidates like DeSantis, even as Trump continues to skip events hosted by the Family Leader, denigrates strict abortion bans that evangelicals hold dear and espouses the kind of menacing language Vander Plaats ridiculed at his “Thanksgiving Family Forum” on Friday night in Des Moines.

Despite it all, evangelical Christians continue to support Trump.

As he interviewed DeSantis, Haley and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy in a Marriott ballroom, Vander Plaats acknowledged as much.

“The Iowa poll came out; showed you a distant second,” Vander Plaats told DeSantis. “You dig deeper into the poll and you see that you are the second choice for Trump voters and your voters — the second choice is Trump. And so the biggest comment or the biggest question is, why doesn’t he just wait his turn?”

Masked as a challenge, the question provided DeSantis an opportunity to provide his closing argument to the approximately 800 people in attendance.

“We’re a republic. It’s not about waiting your turn,” DeSantis said to applause. “We are in jeopardy of turning over to the next generation of Americans an America less prosperous and less free than the America we inherited.”

He peppered his answer with criticisms of Trump, from his failure to deliver on 2016 campaign promises like building a Southern border wall, to concerns over his viability in a general election, to his penchant for “entertainment.”

But DeSantis and his rivals tacitly recognized Trump’s popularity a few minutes later. When Vander Plaats asked each to describe “the greatest moral threat we face as a country,” none mentioned the 91 felony charges facing Trump or the former president’s false insistence that the 2020 election was rigged.

DeSantis’ performance earned him plaudits from some pastors in the audience who plan to participate in Iowa’s caucuses on Jan. 15.

“It was definitely DeSantis’ night,” said Mike Demastus, executive pastor of Fort Des Moines Church of Christ. “He had the most deliberate and effective answers. He got the largest applause.”

Demastus said he has yet to decide on his preferred candidate and called Vander Plaats’ likely endorsement “the worst-kept secret in Iowa politics.”

Earlier this week, CBS reported that DeSantis told fundraisers he expects Vander Plaats’ endorsement within a week of the summit, which the DeSantis campaign denied.

DeSantis’ operation — which has said it would be satisfied with a strong second-place in Iowa — has poured more money into ads in Iowa than any of his rivals, by far. As of ad buy tallies on Friday, DeSantis and the super PAC all but running his campaign have bought nearly $19 million in ads here through the caucuses, according to AdImpact.

“DeSantis is having a good resurgence in Iowa,” said GOP operative David Kochel, who has worked on multiple presidential campaigns in Iowa. “If he’s going to compete to win Iowa, this is the coalition he needs.”

The Twins tendered contracts to all but two of their arbitration-eligible players ahead of Friday’s 7 p.m. deadline, notably Kyle Farmer and Willi Castro, veteran pieces of the team’s American League Central Division championship, and recent high draft picks Alexi Kirilloff and Ryan Jeffers.

While some of the decisions weren’t much of decisions at all — as with Kirilloff and Jeffers — there were questions around other players, either because they were coming off of an injury-plagued season or because of salary. The Twins also tendered Caleb Thielbar, Jorge Alcala and Nick Gordon.

Pitchers Jovani Moran and Ronny Henriquez were non-tendered but are expected to be re-signed to minor league deals.

Farmer, perhaps, was the biggest question mark. The Twins have been highly complimentary of Farmer — both because of his play on the field and his presence in the clubhouse — since he arrived in Minnesota last year. But he’s due a projected $6.6 million in arbitration, per MLB Trade Rumors.

That’s a hefty amount considering he’s not expected to be a starter, and the Twins are planning on cutting payroll from the approximately $153.6 million they spent in 2023. While they tendered him a contract, the Twins could still explore a trade partner for the infielder.

Gordon, out of the lineup with a broken shin after fouling a ball off his leg in May, and Alcala, who dealt with an arm injury for much of the season, are each expected to earn around $1 million in arbitration. That’s a slight bump over major league minimum for a pair of players whose spot on the 26-man roster to begin next season is uncertain.

Castro, whom the Twins signed as a minor league free agent last offseason, turned into one of the team’s most valuable players, appearing in 124 games at multiple positions. He is expected to earn around $3.2 million next year.

Thielbar, a left-hander who posted a 3.23 earned-run average last season, is expected to earn around $3 million next year, while Jeffers is due a bump to around $2.3 million and Kirilloff around $1.7 million, per MLB Trade Rumors.

On Tuesday, right-hander Sonny Gray, the American League Cy Young Award runner-up, declined the one-year, $20.325 million qualifying offer the Twins extended and became an unrestricted free agent.

The Twins now have 36 players on their 40-man roster: 17 pitchers, three catchers, eight infielders and eight outfielders.

Related Articles

Starting pitcher Sonny Gray declines Twins’ qualifying offer, becomes free agent

Twins: With offseason underway, here are three areas of interest

Sonny Gray named Cy Young Award finalist; Twins extend veteran a qualifying offer

Twins add two to 40-man roster; more prospect additions coming

Twins pick up club options on Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco

St. Paul police are investigating a homicide in a downtown apartment building after a woman was found dead there Friday morning.

After a 911 caller asked for a welfare check on the woman, fire department paramedics, followed by police officers, entered the apartment in the Press House building shortly after 9:30 a.m. Friday. They found the woman deceased with obvious signs of trauma on her body, police department spokesman Mike Ernster said Friday night.

Officers summoned homicide detectives, who were still at the scene at 345 Cedar St. on Friday night.

So far this year, police have been called to the Press House apartments 292 times. Ernster said that, in general, apartment buildings tend to have a higher number of police calls than the average St. Paul address, though he noted that the Press House “has had its challenges.”

The apartment building previously housed the offices of the Pioneer Press before it underwent a conversion four years ago as income-restricted housing.

Police said the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to positively identify the victim and determine her cause of death.

The case marks the 30th homicide this year in St. Paul.

Related Articles

Minneapolis man receives 34-year prison sentence for fatal shooting on St. Paul’s West Side

Man charged in October fatal shooting on St. Paul’s West Side

Man sentenced to federal prison for robbing 3 markets on St. Paul’s University Avenue

Families of 5 men killed in officer-involved shootings sue BCA over case file delays

St. Paul murder sentencing: ‘He is a coward,’ victim’s sister says of man who shot through window of home

When St. Thomas Academy took over on offense with 7:48 left in the third quarter, its student section began to chant, “We can’t hear you.”

“Why so quiet?” was the refrain a couple of minutes later when the Cadets took their first lead.

St. Thomas Academy tight end Chase Young, center, celebrates with his teammates after defeating Alexandria Area 42-30 in a Class 5A semifinal game in the State Football Tournament at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023. (Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)

Stunned, shellshocked or dazed may best describe the red-and-black clad Alexandria supporters at that point, many looking at a quiet ride back up Interstate 94.

“Long drive home” was a brief Cadets student section chant late in Friday’s game.

Down 23-0 in the second quarter, St. Thomas Academy scored 42 unanswered points to advance to the Class 5A championship with a 42-30 win over Alexandria inside U.S. Bank Stadium.

“We knew that we had it in us to come back, have some good plays, have some big energy plays,” said Edward Knapp, who led the Cadets with nine tackles.

“And we need Savion,” he added, a big smile across his face.

Savion Hart had another stellar outing for the Cadets with 227 rushing yards and three scores. Maximus Sims threw for 245 yards and three scores, two to Luke Dobbs, who finished with 114 yards receiving.

The 10-2 Cadets get the winner of Saturday night’s semifinal between Andover (10-1) and Chanhassen (11-0) at 4 p.m. Nov. 25 back at U.S. Bank Stadium. St. Thomas Academy’s lone title came in 1975. It has five runner-up finishes since, including three in the previous seven tournaments.

Hart, a Mr. Football finalist who has 2,416 rushing yards and 37 touchdowns this season, said the focus beginning each drive is what’s ahead of them, not what’s on the scoreboard.

“You can still pull out a win if you go out and make the plays,” he said.

Down by 15 with 1:58 before halftime, Hart had an 86-yard run before scoring from the 5 on the ensuing play to get his team within 23-15. Sims connected with Dobbs for an 11-yard score earlier in the frame.

Before the second half, Sims told his defensive teammates St. Thomas Academy would win if it got one turnover.

It came quickly.

A tip by Charlie Probst led to a pick by Charlie Kern on the Cardinals’ third offensive snap. Hart scored from the 16 on the next play and added the two-point conversion to make it 23-all 94 seconds into the second half.

Four plays into the next St. Thomas Academy series, Sims rolled out to his right and found Avery Buckner behind the Alexandria secondary, a 69-yard connection for the first Cadets lead.

“When this kid sets his feet, there’s no one that throws like him in the state,” said coach Travis Walch, looking at Sims.

Then, arguably the biggest defensive play of the night.

On fourth-and-10, from the Cadets’ 30, Chase Thompson connected with Mason Gorghuber late in the third quarter. Theodore Benz quickly wrapped up the receiver and brought him to the turf less than a yard shy of what was needed. Video replay upheld the spot.

A 36-yard pass from Sims to Chase Young early in the ensuing drive set up a 29-yard hookup for the duo and a 36-23 lead on the first play of quarter four.

Hart added a 21-yard run with 6:12 left to play.

Linebacker Jacob Lanoux could only lament the Cardinals uncharacteristically missing tackles. “We just couldn’t wrap up and execute.”

“We missed assignment on the backside that gave up some long touchdowns, things we’ve been pretty clean on all season,” added coach Mike Empting.

A 61-yard reception by Evan Kludt and a 5-yard catch by Gorghuber made it 14-0 Alexandria. Macklen Heydt scored from the 2 on the third Cardinals possession, but the extra point was blocked.

Walch said responding to a negative is something often talked about in the Cadets’ program.

“That is the first positive thing that happened in this whole game for us, and that is response,” Walch said. “Down 20-0 and our kids said, ‘Let’s Play.’”

Thompson was 28 of 47 for 330 yards with two scores, but Alexandria (11-1) failed to earn its first title game appearance since 1994. The school’s lone title came in 1974.

Related Articles

High school football: Saturday state tournament semifinal predictions

Class 6A state football semifinal: Centennial reaches championship game for first time since 1984

High school football state semifinals roundup: Rocori edges Byron in 4A slugfest, 9-player final set

High school football: Friday state semifinal predictions

High school football: For St. Thomas Academy, less has led to more