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Iowa Republicans go first in the GOP’s primary process, by which the party’s voters select their nominee for president. Results will be posted here throughout the night as they come in.
Donald Trump is widely expected to win. The question is by how much. The polling average shows him leading the closest other Republican, Nikki Haley, 52.5% to 18.8%. Ron DeSantis is at 15.7%, and Vivek Ramaswamy stands at 6.8%.
The Iowa result does not decide the nominee. It is the starting gun for the process. The New Hampshire primary is next week on Tuesday, Jan. 23.
But Iowa is highly influential in deciding which candidates remain among the top two or three. And that is a lot of power for roughly 100,000 people. They will play a huge role in deciding who tens of millions of Americans get to choose from in the general election this fall.
Iowa is one of the few states that conduct a vote by caucus rather than simple ballot. A caucus involves listening to speeches by representatives of each candidate’s campaign, and then casting a ballot after that. Iowans can’t just go to the polls anytime they want on election day.
The first Iowa caucuses took place in 1972, for Democrats only. Republicans followed in 1976. Parties picked their nominees at their conventions prior to that.
Evan Massoud is a political analyst with a knack for dissecting policy and governance. He provides readers with informed perspectives on political developments at home and abroad. Evan’s dedication to civic engagement extends to volunteering in local politics.
