Trump wins Iowa GOP caucuses as DeSantis ekes out a distant second over Haley

Former President Donald Trump won a decisive victory in Monday's Iowa caucuses, getting the support of about 51% of caucus-goers in the first contest of the Republican presidential nominating contest. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who invested heavily in Iowa and staked his campaign on doing well in the state, came in a distant second place, The Associated Press projected, narrowly beating former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy placed fourth, with about 8% of caucus votes. He suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump. 

Trump's victory in Iowa gave him at least 19 of the 1,215 delegates he will need to win the Republican nomination, and it reinforced the assumption that he is the commanding favorite in the race. DeSantis, with about 21% of the votes, will get at least 8 delegates; Haley, at 19%, will get at least 7 delegates. 

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About 120,000 Iowans participated in the 2024 GOP caucus, roughly the same number as in 2012 but fewer than the 187,000 who participated in 2016, according to Edison Research. Temperatures fell below zero in much of the state on Monday, and the wind chill made it feel even more frigid.

"This was the least suspenseful Iowa caucus in the last 20 years because Trump has essentially been running as an incumbent," AP reports, and his win shows he maintains his "iron grip" on the Republican Party, especially in more rural, conservative states like Iowa. But he also showed a continuing weakness in the suburbs and among voters with at least a college degree, and New Hampshire, which votes next, "has famously delivered upsets in both parties," AP added. 

Haley's campaign says she is "still in a strong position to rise in New Hampshire and her home state next month," The New York Times reports, but she did not knock DeSantis out of the race and both campaigns "are staring at an almost impossibly steep climb to the nomination."