With about 100% of counties reported, former President Donald Trump won Iowa’s caucus on Monday. Trump held 51% of the vote, more than 56,000 votes, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis earned 21.2% and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley had 19.1%. Forty delegates are at stake in Iowa, and Trump is expected to earn 17 or more of them. To win the Republican nomination a candidate must secure at least 1,215 delegates. Haley held an advantage over DeSantis in Johnson and Story County, where the University of Iowa and Iowa State University are located. She also earned the second-most votes in Dallas and Linn County.
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy earned the third-most votes in Buchanan County, however during his watch party Ramaswamy announced that he is suspending his campaign: “There is no path for me to be the next president absent things we don’t want to see happen in this country.”
The turnout was low in comparison to 2016, when more than 186,000 caucused. Monday’s turnout was about 102,000 with a majority of the most-populated counties reported.The winner of Monday’s caucus will not necessarily become the Republican nominee for president, but performing well in Iowa can give a campaign momentum moving forward. The New Hampshire primary will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 23.
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