Donald Trump won the US’s first election contest of 2024, easily fending off a winnowed field of Republicans who failed to gain as much traction as the cult of personality surrounding the former president.
The Associated Press called the race for Trump rapidly, while caucusgoers in much of the state were still casting ballots, a sign of the wide lead the former president had in the race.
The heated battle for second place took much longer, with Ron DeSantis edging out Nikki Haley in an upset. The Florida governor campaigned in traditional Iowa fashion, visiting all 99 counties, in the hopes that voters there would reward him as they have candidates in the past. The former South Carolina governor has been seen as Republicans’ most moderate choice, with a better chance to beat Joe Biden in the general election than the candidates to her right.
DeSantis could see more momentum in his campaign after the surprisingly strong showing, albeit a distant trail to Trump’s commanding lead.
Three other candidates fell well below DeSantis and Haley, landing in the single-digit percentages, if that. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy led the lesser-known pack, which includes Asa Hutchinson, the former Arkansas governor, and the pastor Ryan Binkley.
Iowa voters on Monday had gathered in schools, libraries, community centers and even a grain elevator to debate amongst neighbors which candidates would serve Republicans best.
Iowa’s caucuses became more notable over the weekend for the weather rather than the winner, which was seen as inevitable. Caucus-goers faced sub-zero temperatures, bitter winds and snow drifts to make it to their neighborhood caucus sites.
Most stuck by Trump, with many of his supporters dismissing the former president’s legal woes and concerns over democracy itself. Retired farmer Ron Osborn’s reason for supporting Trump, who won the most votes in Malcolm, Iowa, was simple.
“I think he’s the only one who can beat the cheating Democrats,” the 73-year-old said.
Those who chose other candidates said they were sick of Trump’s chaos and wanted to move forward without the noise of his brand of politics. Kent Christen, a Cedar Rapids voter who supported DeSantis, said of Trump: “Chaos follows him. He’s like an instrument of chaos. I’m kind of tired of all that. That’s the biggest reason I’m tired of him.”
The contest in Iowa kicks off the 2024 election cycle, which is predicted to be an eventual rematch between Trump and Biden. Already, threats of political violence loom over the election, as officials and judges face increasing harassment.
In the road to the first Republican election outing, the field narrowed, with Trump never falling from a commanding lead. His ardent followers showed up to rallies and worked on the ground, dismissing the ongoing legal issues and increasingly harsh rhetoric the former president used on the campaign trail, where he vowed a second term focused on retribution against his political foes.
The focus now shifts to New Hampshire, the next election on Republicans’ political calendar. Democrats are also skipping the granite state, choosing South Carolina as the first official contest on the left, though candidates vying against the incumbent president are still on the ballot there.
Chris Stein contributed reporting.
