DES MOINES – Sen. Ted Cruz has won the Iowa caucuses, riding his message that he was the most consistent conservative in the race, while onetime front-runner Donald Trump edged out for second a surging Sen. Marco Rubio.
Cruz took 29 percent of the vote as of 10:30 p.m. EST. Trump, who has led the polls in Iowa and nationally through much of the campaign season, came in second with 24 percent of the vote.
Rubio outperformed projections and finished right on Trump’s heels with a strong 23 percent. Rubio congratulated Cruz on the night’s result in a triumphant speech before at his watch party in Des Moines before heading to the airport to fly immediately to New Hampshire, the first primary state, which votes on Feb. 9.
Retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson finished a distant fourth in the race.
Cruz bet his entire campaign on winning Iowa, and the gamble paid off. He set a record for the most votes ever cast for a single candidate on caucus night in the state.
Trump congratulated Cruz, adding that he loves Iowa and that he would be in New Hampshire on Tuesday. Heading into the caucuses, polls gave Trump the edge, but ultimately strong turnout by evangelicals, a sophisticated ground game, and a dogged campaigning pace helped propel Cruz.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul grabbed 5 percent of the vote, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush took 3 percent and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, businesswoman Carly Fiorina, 2008 winner and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie all finished with 2 percent of the vote.
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who won the Iowa caucus in 2012, got just 1 percent of the vote.
Huckabee’s poor showing was enough for him to drop out of the race, he announced on Twitter Monday night.
In events leading up to up to Monday night’s caucuses, Cruz supporters were consistent in saying that he was the most dependable conservative in the race.
At a campaign rally Hubbard, Howie Marsh explained that he was supporting Cruz because he was, “the most conservative. I believe he’ll do what he says he’ll do. A lot guys are conservative when they’re running, but I think he’ll be conservative when he gets to Washington.” But he said he didn’t trust Trump.
At a rally in Sioux City, Naomi Widman said, “As far as being a man of his word, he hasn’t shown it.” Her husband Christopher added, “He stands for the Constitution and that he “is more genuine than Trump.”
Though Trump dominated news coverage of the race, despite the enthusiasm shown at his campaign rallies in the end his unorthodox turnout operation didn’t get enough new voters to the polls, and there was a strong anti-Trump sentiment among those who weren’t supporting him. He also skipped the final debate before the Iowa vote after a war of words with Fox News and co-moderator Megyn Kelly.
The big surprise of the night may have come from Rubio, who was neck and neck with Trump, who he trailed heavily going into polls. There were some signs of a late break toward Rubio among voters
This will give him a much-needed boost of momentum as the race moves.
