Former President Donald Trump will win the Iowa caucuses, CNN projects, solidifying his place as the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination as he attempts a historic political comeback nearly three years after leaving the White House in disgrace.
Trump’s victory in this, his first election since losing to Joe Biden in 2020, put to bed any lingering questions about his hold over the GOP and the potency of his right-wing message.
The result also puts added pressure on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley ahead of next week’s contest in New Hampshire, where Haley is hoping to impress among a more ideologically diverse primary electorate. The Iowa outcome is a deeper cut for DeSantis, who along with aligned outside groups spent heavily in the state hoping to overtake Trump and signal a changing of the guard in national Republican politics.
People arrive at a caucus site at Fellows Elementary School as voters get ready to choose a Republican presidential candidate in Ames, Iowa, on Monday.
About half of Iowa GOP caucusgoers identify with MAGA movement, early entrance poll shows
It was not to be. Determined to avoid the disappointment of eight years ago, when he finished second behind Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in the caucuses, Trump’s campaign invested in an estimable ground game. The focus: finding and turning out new voters.
“Other candidates are betting on turning out existing caucus-goers,” a senior Trump campaign official told CNN last month. “Our focus is on finding and creating first-time caucus-goers.”
According to CNN projections, Former President Donald Trump is set to secure a victory in the Iowa caucuses, marking a significant step in his bid for the 2024 Republican nomination. This triumph, his inaugural election since the 2020 loss to Joe Biden, solidifies his standing as the front-runner and underscores the enduring influence of his right-wing message within the GOP.
Trump’s win in Iowa dispels any lingering doubts about his sway over the Republican Party and the continued resonance of his political ideology. The outcome intensifies the pressure on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as they approach the upcoming contest in New Hampshire. Haley, in particular, aims to make an impression among a more ideologically diverse primary electorate.
The Iowa results pose a significant setback for DeSantis, who, along with allied outside groups, invested heavily in the state with the hope of surpassing Trump and signaling a shift in the dynamics of national Republican politics.
Despite the disappointment of finishing second in the caucuses eight years ago, Trump’s campaign, determined to avoid a repeat, strategically invested in a robust ground game. The primary focus was on identifying and mobilizing new voters, differentiating their approach from competitors who relied on turning out existing caucus-goers.
As a senior Trump campaign official emphasized to CNN last month, “Other candidates are betting on turning out existing caucus-goers. Our focus is on finding and creating first-time caucus-goers.”
