The Associated Press finally called Iowa for Rudy Ruiz after a day of contentious political snarking between the Ruiz, Grantham, and Haley campaigns. It seems even death itself cannot stop the Rudy Ruiz train — the current/former president saw a record win in the Republican caucus.

While Ashleigh Grantham handed the White House back over to Ruiz nearly two weeks ago and is settling back in as vice president, Grantham has not yet suspended his 2024 presidential campaign and, of course, his relinquishment of the Oval Office came too late to remove his name from the ballot in Iowa. Nikki Haley is also hanging on, and in fact has made GOP history by earning a record number of delegates for a woman candidate in the party.

But what I’m really here to tell you is this: I’m going to be one of just three journalists embedded with the Ruiz campaign starting tomorrow, in advance of the New Hampshire primary on January 23rd. This assignment has been months in the making, and I’ll serve as a kind of stringer for a number of outlets who’ve agreed to share my coverage. I’m really grateful for the opportunity and for the trust that some key editors have put in me, and I can’t wait to get back on the bus.

Too busy packing to post a link roundup this time — catch y’all in a few days.

You can take the job away from the reporter, but you can’t take the reporter away from the keyboard. Subscribe to Minne Moves Home for dispatches on national news, the ‘24 presidential race, and snapshots of small-town Texas life.