DeSantis takes second place but trails Trump by a wide margin in Iowa caucuses, surpassing Haley

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is projected to come in second place in Iowa's caucuses, narrowly beating out Nikki Haley in the Republican contest. According to projections by CBS, Donald Trump received 51% of the vote, with DeSantis at 21% and Haley at 19%. DeSantis campaigned extensively in Iowa and was described as having "earned his ticket out of Iowa" by a senior campaign official. However, Haley claimed she had the momentum heading into the next contest in New Hampshire. Iowa was the first state-by-state contest for Republican voters to choose their presidential candidate. The eventual nominee will face the Democratic pick, likely President Joe Biden, in the November election. Trump, who won overwhelmingly in Iowa, criticized Biden as the worst president in history during a victory party. Following his landslide win, a pro-Trump political action committee called on his Republican challengers to drop out and save resources for the general election. However, both DeSantis and Haley argued that they had the political wind on their side. DeSantis focused on Iowa, campaigning in all 99 counties and targeting the state's influential evangelical voters. However, he may face a tougher challenge in the more moderate state of New Hampshire. Haley claimed that Iowa made the Republican primary a two-person race and positioned herself as the only viable alternative to Trump. Despite finishing third, her appeal with independents and moderate Republicans did not resonate with Iowa's conservative electorate. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy suspended his campaign after a fourth-place finish and endorsed Trump. Biden acknowledged the likelihood of a rematch with Trump but characterized the election as a battle between "you and me" versus extreme Maga Republicans. Iowa's Republican voters braved freezing temperatures to cast their ballots, with Trump receiving strong support from white evangelicals and very conservative voters. The issue of immigration helped boost Trump's support, and most Iowa Republicans favored a nationwide ban on most abortions, aligning with Trump's stance. After New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina will have their say in the Republican race in February, followed by Super Tuesday in early March when over a dozen states vote. The Republican nominee will be confirmed at the party convention in July. While Iowa is an important launchpad for candidates, it has not consistently predicted the eventual Republican nominee in recent campaigns.