US Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz kisses his wife Heidi after winning at the Iowa caucus.
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Though only about 1 percent of the delegates needed to win either party’s presidential nomination are awarded in the caucuses, the results render an initial verdict of the 2016 presidential campaign.
The race could be reset yet again in New Hampshire eight days from now. New Hampshire presents a formidable challenge for Clinton, who now faces an electorate that has been receptive to Sander’s anti-establishment, anti-Wall Street message.
Although voters of color made up just 9 percent of the Democratic Iowa caucus-goers according to entrance poll results , they went for Clinton over Sanders by a margin of 58 percent to 34 percent.
Next up in the primary election process is New Hampshire where the billionaire holds a strong lead in the polls.
Jeb Bush of Florida reportedly spent around $2,800 per vote in Iowa leading up to the February 1 caucuses.
Sanders, 74, declared himself overwhelmed.
Clinton said she had breathed “a big sigh of relief” Monday night in Iowa, but the first round has been tougher than expected for the former first lady. The results suggest that the senator from Vermont is still struggling to connect with Latino, African American and other nonwhite voters, a deficit that will loom larger as the nominating contest expands to states with more diverse populations.
CNN noted, “Campaigns are fueled by victories and Clinton’s muddled Iowa showing will leave her supporters, donors and campaign staffers without bragging rights, possibly dampening enthusiasm and further ceding ground to Sanders”. Donald Trump’s second-place finish was a humbling blow to the boastful mogul who had dominated the polls for weeks.
Mr Sanders had hoped to replicate Mr Obama’s pathway to the presidency by using a victory in Iowa to catapult his passion and ideals of “democratic socialism” deep into the primaries.
Meanwhile, Republicans and Democrats descended on the tiny New England state of New Hampshire, which votes next Tuesday. Sanders’ campaign declared victory even in defeat, saying the results were a “giant step” toward proving he was a viable candidate. Marco Rubio, had they been running in any other year, would have won given their vote totals. The good news for Trump is that New Hampshire voters are infamous for rejecting the whims of Iowans. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley ended his longshot bid for the Democratic nomination, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee dropped out of the Republican race.
Susan Duprey, who served as chief of staff to Ann Romney, Mitt Romney’s wife, in 2011 and 2012, announced her support for the Florida senator on Tuesday night.
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Activist Julie Stauch of West Des Moines, a Clinton backer, said she heard similar “horror stories” about voter check-ins and registrations being poorly managed and rooms that were packed.
