The skies may have been muted and gray above the airplane hangar in Greenville, South Carolina, where Ron DeSantis addressed a packed crowd on Tuesday morning, but the Florida governor spoke with unwavering optimism after his strong showing in the 2024 Iowa Caucus the night before.

While presidential contenders typically head straight to New Hampshire, DeSantis made a deliberate stop in South Carolina, delivering a targeted message to his rival, Nikki Haley, the former governor of the state who closely trailed him in Monday's contest. This clearly indicated DeSantis' intention to compete and win on her home turf.

DeSantis emphasized the significance of South Carolina, stating that if Haley cannot secure victory in the state, it becomes questionable whether she can succeed on Super Tuesday or in other states. His subtext throughout his remarks suggested that he sees himself as the sole viable candidate to take on former President Donald Trump, who had a decisive victory in Iowa, commanding over 50% of the vote, leading in state-level and national primary polls, and securing more delegates than DeSantis and Haley combined.

In his speech, DeSantis attacked Haley as "liberal" and argued that she lacks support among Republicans, relying instead on non-Republican voters. He claimed that winning the Republican nomination requires substantial backing from within the party.

However, DeSantis faces an uphill battle towards winning the nomination himself. Despite adopting many culturally conservative positions that have garnered support from the party's base, he has struggled to convert a meaningful share of Trump's supporters to his own campaign, while also alienating some moderate Republicans concerned about electability in the general election.

In the upcoming New Hampshire primary, DeSantis is trailing both Trump and Haley in polling, putting him at risk of not earning delegates from the state. Candidates need to meet a 10% threshold to be awarded delegates.

Looking ahead, DeSantis and Trump are the only candidates at the upcoming Nevada delegate-earning caucus, while Haley will participate solely in the state-run primary, which does not contribute to earning the nomination. DeSantis highlighted Haley's absence from Nevada, underscoring his own commitment to winning delegates from the state.

There will be a significant gap of over two weeks between the Nevada contest and the South Carolina primary. This presents an opportunity for both Haley and DeSantis to mount a serious challenge to Trump, as South Carolina awards delegates to the winners in each of its seven Congressional districts, in addition to the overall statewide winner.

On Tuesday night, DeSantis is set to appear at a CNN town hall in New Hampshire, while both Haley and Trump have opted out of a scheduled debate in the state later in the week.

As the 2024 presidential race unfolds, DeSantis continues to position himself as a formidable contender, displaying confidence in his ability to secure delegates and ultimately win the nomination. Meanwhile, Haley faces an uphill battle to gain significant support from within the Republican Party, hindering her path to success in the primary race.