Republicans and Democrats scrambling for their party’s 2016 nomination for president descended on the tiny New England state of New Hampshire on Tuesday, leaving behind the Iowa caucuses where Ted Cruz, a fiery, conservative Texas senator loathed by his own party’s leaders, swept to victory over billionaire Donald Trump and Florida Sen.
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Things are much tighter on the Democratic side, with Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton finishing just one point ahead of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
“Tonight is a victory for courageous conservatives across Iowa and all across this great nation”, Cruz, 45, said during a victory speech lasting more than 30 minutes.
“Iowa has sent notice that the Republican nominee and the next President of the United States will not be chosen by the media, will not be chosen by the Washington establishment”, Cruz said on winning.
Mr Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, amassed the largest number of new Facebook followers of any candidate in the race during Monday, the social network said, topping Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump by 15,695 to 10,704. Ted Cruz won in Iowa, but the key result was Marco Rubio in third place.
Clinton led with 50.1 percent to Sanders’ 49.3 percent in 93 per cent of precincts. Marco Rubio finished third with 23 percent.
In her address to her supporters, Mrs Clinton said “I want you to know I will keep doing what I have done my entire life, I will keep fighting for you”.
“We will unite our party, and grow our party and we will defeat Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders or whoever they nominate”, Rubio said Monday night.
Clinton began her day at her campaign’s south Des Moines field office, where she served roughly 60 volunteers donuts and coffee. “Sanders about the best way forward to fight for us and America”.
A draw in Iowa and a win in New Hampshire, long considered a bellweather state, would give Sanders momentum going into Democratic primaries in Nevada and SC later this month.
Does this mark a personality change in the arrogant man we all love to hate?
On the Republican side, Mike Huckabee announced to suspend his campaign.
In what many see as a win for Sanders, he said that the message he took from the vote was that “given the enormous crises facing the country it is too late for establishment politics and establishment economics”.
Christie, Kasich and Bush all spent Iowa caucus night campaigning in New Hampshire.
The 2016 election is shaping up to be the year of angry voters as disgruntled Americans worry about issues such as immigration, terrorism, income inequality and healthcare, fueling the campaigns of Trump, Sanders and Cruz.
“The results tonight are the closest in Iowa Democratic caucus history”, Iowa party chairman Andy McGuire said.
“Top Rubio aide tells Fox News they are expecting a very good night”. We will be back many, many times.
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He claimed he’d received the most votes ever cast for any primary victor.
