On Monday night, Iowa voters will participate in the state’s caucus to make the first major decision in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. As a snowstorm plunged the state into sub-zero temperatures and the candidates make their final pitches before the critical vote, here’s everything to know about the Iowa Caucuses.
How It Works
While the Iowa Caucuses do not determine the Republican Party’s final nominee, they serve as the first primary vote of the election cycle, making them a key indicator of which candidate has the advantage.
All registered Iowa Republicans can participate. Caucus-goers will hear from representatives of each candidate before casting a secret ballot, deciding who the state’s 40 delegates will go to.
Voting will be held at 1,657 precincts in Iowa’s 99 counties.
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Who’s In?
The Caucuses’ 2024 lineup consists of former President Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, all of whom have been aggressively campaigning in the state.
On Sunday, Trump—the clear frontrunner—told supporters that “these caucuses are your personal chance to score the ultimate victory over all of the liars, cheaters, thugs, perverts, frauds, crooks, freaks, creeps, and other quite nice people” in the DC swamp.
Meanwhile, DeSantis, who previously secured an unprecedented endorsement from Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, promised to “be a candidate that will sweep us to victory — just like we did in Florida in record fashion.”
He continued: “But more importantly than that, as a leader, I’ll always be somebody that you can be proud of.”
Haley, who has seen the greatest amount of poll progress during the campaign, feels like she “has a target on [her] back” but expects to come out looking strong.
Ramaswamy has spent more time in Iowa than any other candidate, and as such predicts that “the race is set up exactly the way we want it.”
“The expectations are set moderately for me, but we’re going to shatter those expectations,” he said.
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and Texas pastor Ryan Binkley are also participating, although both have polled in the low single digits for months.
The Democratic Party is also holding a caucus, but not in the traditional way. Rather than voting to select a candidate on caucus day, Iowa Democrats have until Super Tuesday (March 5) to choose between President Joe Biden, self-help author Marianne Williamson, and Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips.
The Latest Polls
Polling ahead of the caucus unsurprisingly shows that Donald Trump has a commanding lead over his competition in the Republican Party.
A poll from Emerson College published on Monday shows Trump with 55 percent support, followed by Haley at 21 percent, DeSantis at 15 percent, Ramaswamy at 5, and Hutchinson at 2 percent.
📊 Final Iowa GOP Caucus Poll
Trump: 55% (+5)
[Change vs December 15]
Haley: 21% (+4)
DeSantis: 15% (=)
Ramaswamy: 5% (-3)
Hutchinson: 2% (+2)Emerson (A-) | 562 LV | 1/11-13 | ±4.2%https://t.co/JzDxzX12hu pic.twitter.com/VUmepY59Wc
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) January 14, 2024
A final Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa poll showed similar results, with Trump at 48 percent, Haley at 20 percent, DeSantis at 16 percent, Ramaswamy at 8 percent, and Hutchinson and Binkley at 1 percent each.
Other polls—including those conducted by Trafalgar, Iowa State, Suffolk, and InsiderAdvantage—all show Trump leading with 51-55 percent support.
Though polls are not always indicative of the eventual winner, Trump remains the clear favorite to win.
Last-Minute Endorsements
Though not in desperate need of a boost, Trump received an endorsement from North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, who ran against him earlier in the cycle.
North Dakota Governor @DougBurgum endorses Donald J. Trump for President! pic.twitter.com/Aogbdnm27L
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 14, 2024
Trump also secured an endorsement from Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who ran against him in 2016. This marks a significant win for Trump, who now has the endorsement of both senators from DeSantis’ home state (Sen. Rick Scott endorsed in November).
When Trump was in WH I achieved major policies I had worked on for years (like expanded Child Tax Credit & tough sanctions on regime in Cuba & Venezuela) because we had a President who didn’t cave to special interests or let bureaucrats block us.
I support Trump because that…
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 14, 2024
The Iowa Caucuses begin at 8:00 p.m. EST on January 15.
Connor Walcott is a staff writer covering politics, culture, and business for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X (Twitter).
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