Background on Primaries/Caucus

The Iowa Caucus has concluded and Donald Trump is the winner. The Caucus is the first step in nominating the Republican that will face up against President Joe Biden. Each state and territory holds elections called “primaries” to select who will be the party’s nominee. Iowa happens to be the first state to vote for Republicans while New Hampshire is the first for Democrats. To win a primary election at the national level, specific party candidates must gain a majority of points called “delegates”. The larger the state the more delegates are up for grabs. In the 2024 race for the Republican nomination, 2,429 delegates are available. Even though Iowa only has 40 delegates available, they can make or break a candidate by forcing them to drop out due to low amounts of votes or keep them in a race if they have a pretty substantial amount of votes. The next primary will be held in New Hampshire on January 23rd and primaries last until June 8th. 

Who Were the Caucus Contenders Other than Trump?

Ron Desantis- Governor of Florida, Serving 2 consecutive terms after winning his second term by a landslide. Popular for his laid-back response to the pandemic and solidified Florida as a Republican stronghold.

Nikki Haley- Former UN ambassador & Former Governor of South Carolina. Popular for her appeal toward moderates on both sides of the political spectrum, strong support of Israel, and firm stances against Russia and China. 

Vivek Ramaswamy- Indian American Businessman, Popular for his tame approach towards Trump and Conservative Views. 

Others- These Include Asa Hutchison and Ryan Binkley

Results

The results of Monday’s election are rather unsurprising Trump won with 51% of the vote, While Ron Desantis came in second with 21.2% of the vote, followed by Nikki Haley with 19.1% and Ramaswamy with 7.7%. Vivek Ramaswamy has dropped out and endorsed Trump, while Haley and Desantis are still in the game. Though Trump may have won, it is important to note that he has lost half of his party in Iowa to other candidates. If Haley and Desantis continue to split up the vote between the other half of the party it may be difficult to defeat Trump in the primary. Now, it’s onto the more moderate state of New Hampshire, where Trump could face more of a challenge.