Iowa City, Iowa – Former Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has secured second place in Iowa’s caucuses, surpassing former UN ambassador Nikki Haley for the Republican nomination. The caucuses were largely dominated by Donald Trump, who claimed first place in the state. Despite DeSantis’ relentless campaigning in Iowa, he finished far behind the former president. Trump currently holds 51% of the vote, while DeSantis sits at 21% and Haley at 19%.
Being the first state for Republican voters to make their White House pick, the Iowa caucuses require voters to physically show up at designated locations to cast their votes. The eventual Republican nominee will go on to challenge President Joe Biden, the likely Democratic candidate, in the November election.
During a victory party in Des Moines, Donald Trump referred to the night as something special and called for Americans to come together to address global issues. He emphasized his intention to fortify the border and labeled Joe Biden as the country’s worst president. Despite sub-zero temperatures, registered Republicans in Iowa turned out to cast their ballots at various locations throughout the state.
However, both DeSantis and Haley claimed that the political wind was in their favor, despite their respective second and third-place finishes. DeSantis acknowledged that they faced numerous challenges, including media criticism and premature obituaries, but he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to continue to compete. Some Republican supporters, like Kyle Brock, argued that it was time for the party to move on from Trump and highlighted DeSantis’ integrity and accomplishments in Florida.
While DeSantis focused most of his campaign efforts in Iowa, he may face a tougher battle in the more moderate state of New Hampshire, which has its primary next week. Haley, on the other hand, retains an outside chance of surpassing Trump in the state. However, her third-place finish was seen as a disappointment given the momentum she was said to have leading up to the caucuses.
As the Republican race progresses, voters in Nevada and South Carolina will have their say in February. Trump’s lead among Republicans in national opinion polls remains strong, despite facing separate criminal trials and a civil fraud trial that may impact his New York property empire.