Iowa Democrats at a Des Moines school split into groups to be counted for their candidates in the first of the 2016 U.S. presidential nominating contests on Monday (February 1).
Supporters caucusing for presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton, Martin O’Malley and Bernie Sanders lined up after the caucus leader told them they had become “part of Iowa and U.S. history”.
Clinton, a former secretary of state, had a slight edge over insurgent Bernie Sanders, a self-styled democratic socialist U.S. senator from Vermont.
Clinton often touts her years of experience in politics, and says she will defend much of Obama’s legacy. Sanders has attacked from the left and promised to do more than Clinton to help American workers.
O’Malley lags behind in a distant third place.
Clinton, who lost Iowa in 2008 and went on to lose a protracted primary battle to Obama, told ABC’s “Good Morning America” program that it would be different this time, adding, “I think I’m a better candidate.”
A large bloc of undecided voters in both parties in Iowa may hold the key to victory, and turnout efforts will be critical. Many supporters of Trump and Sanders are new to the process and disenchanted with traditional politics.
A Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Iowa poll on Saturday (January 30) showed three in 10 likely Democratic caucus-goers and 45 percent of likely Republican caucus-goers were still uncertain.
Iowans began choosing candidates at 7 p.m. CST (0100 GMT on Tuesday), with results expected within a few hours. The contest is the first of the state-by-state party battles to pick nominees for the Nov. 8 election to succeed President Barack Obama.
The Iowa caucuses are the first of the state-by-state contests that lead to the parties’ formal presidential nominating conventions in July. The Iowa voter gatherings are a long and sometimes arcane ritual, taking place in 1,100 schools, churches and other public locations across the Midwestern state.
For the winners in Iowa, the prize will be valuable momentum that could stretch for months, while many of the losers on the Republican side could quickly begin dropping by the wayside.
For the Democrats, Clinton needs a win in Iowa to prevent a potential two-state opening losing streak that would raise fresh questions about a candidate who was considered the clear front-runner just two months ago. Sanders is leading in polls in New Hampshire, the next state to hold a nominating contest. (Reuters)
