Former President Donald Trump has won a record-setting victory in the Iowa caucuses, securing a commanding lead over his rivals in the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race.
The big picture: The turnout for the caucus was the lowest in 25 years and was marked by cold weather and dangerous driving conditions.
- Trump won the Caucus with 51 percent of the vote.
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis edged out former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley for second place, securing 21.2 percent of the vote compared to 19.1 percent for Haley.
- Despite the low turnout, Trump’s 30-point victory was the largest in Iowa Republican caucus history by a wide margin. The previous record was Bob Dole in 1988 when he won by 13 percent. In 2016 Trump placed in second with 24.3 percent, losing out to Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
What we’re watching: Trump, DeSantis and Haley now head to New Hampshire for the nation’s first primary on Jan. 23.
What they’re saying: “We want to come together, whether it’s Republican or Democrat or liberal or conservative,” Trump said during his victory speech. “We’re going to come together. It’s going to happen soon.”
- DeSantis told supporters that his second-place finish punched his ticket out of Iowa, but Haley couched her third-place finish as a victory for her in the long run.
- “When you look at how well we’re doing in New Hampshire and in South Carolina and beyond, I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race,” Haley said in a speech.
