Donald Trump Wins Iowa’s Republican Caucus

Former president Donald Trump won the Iowa Republican Party caucuses on Monday, January 15, 2024. A caucus is a public meeting run by a political party to select a candidate. The Iowa caucuses is the first contest in choosing the Republican nominee for president of the United States. Trump won 51 percent of the overall vote. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy came in second, third, and fourth respectively.  

Trump’s win in Iowa comes while he is facing many legal challenges. These challenges include federal and state cases about 2020 presidential election interference, another federal case about improper handling of national security documents after the 2020 election, and two civil cases. No other presidential candidate has tried to run for president while also juggling these types of legal issues.  

Despite these outside problems, the Iowa results reflect that the former president continues to hold strong popularity with Republican voters. Though this is only the first step toward winning the party’s nomination, it could signal a political comeback for Trump. 

Other Candidates Weigh Options 

DeSantis finished second in the Iowa caucuses with 21 percent of the vote. DeSantis invested heavily in Iowa, hoping to strengthen his position in national Republican politics. DeSantis believes problems in Haley’s campaign, combined with potential disruptions from Trump’s upcoming legal trials, could benefit him. He remains committed to staying in the 2024 race. 

Haley’s campaign is also under increased pressure. She finished slightly behind DeSantis, with 19 percent of the vote. Haley’s campaign recently shifted focus away from Iowa and placed more resources in New Hampshire for its upcoming primary. Her campaign is positioning itself as the strongest option for moderate voters who prefer a candidate other than Trump. 

Another Republican candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, received almost 8 percent of the caucus ballots. Ramaswamy is the youngest candidate in the race. He invested large amounts of money and time in Iowa. Realizing that there was little chance that he could win the presidential nomination, Ramaswamy ended his campaign after the results were announced and endorsed Trump. 

Weather Impacts Turnout 

Freezing temperatures and snowy winter weather impacted voter turnout. Many Republican voters in Iowa chose to stay home. For example, nearly 187,000 people turned out for the Republican caucuses in 2016. Party officials estimate that only 100,000 took part in Monday’s contest.  

The contest for the Republican nomination continues next Tuesday, January 23 when New Hampshire will hold its primary. 

Dig Deeper Conduct research to gather information about Iowa’s Republican caucus results since the 2000 presidential election. Create a table that shows whether the results in Iowa predicted the eventual Republican party nominee.