Former US President Donald Trump’s political dominance was once again on display as he won the Iowa caucuses by a landslide on Monday. With 51% of the votes, Trump secured a resounding victory over his closest contender, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who trailed behind at 21.2%.
What are caucuses and why is it so important?
Caucuses in the United States are a form of primary election used by some states in presidential elections. Instead of a traditional vote, citizens gather in groups to discuss and debate candidates and then vote in person through a popular election or by secret ballot. This process is considered a political tradition in the United States and usually occurs at the beginning of the electoral cycle. One of the states where it is held most prominently is Iowa, where the caucuses are an important part of the presidential campaign and attract a lot of attention and media coverage.
Even though Iowa only has 40 delegates compared to 2,469 from the nation’s 50 states, it still plays an important role in candidate selection. The caucus in Iowa is an opportunity for citizens to express their opinion and support for a specific candidate, either through loud discussion or by voting on paper.
Voting results
This victory is not a surprise, as Trump still maintains a strong hold on the Republican base, despite losing the presidency to Joe Biden in 2020. Trump’s popularity among conservative voters was clearly evident in the caucuses, with 56,260 votes , DeSantis, in second place, obtained 23,420 votes, which represented 21.2% of the total, while the former governor of South Carolina and former United Nations ambassador, Nikki Haley, came in third place with 21,085 votes and 19, 1% of the total.
Surprisingly, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who withdrew from the race after the initial result was known, even obtained 8,449 votes, which represented 7.7% of the total votes cast.
Despite the controversy and criticism he faced during his presidency, Trump’s popularity among the Republican base remains strong. His unwavering stance on issues such as immigration and economic policies, as well as his “America First” agenda, continues to resonate with conservative voters.
In short, Trump’s victory in the Iowa primary places him as the clear favorite in the race for the Republican Party nomination in 2024, although there are still many votes and debates ahead before the general election.
With information from EFE