The Republican race for the 2024 presidential nomination began with a surprisingly large number of contests, but it has narrowed down rapidly. Voters are now rushing to the Iowa caucuses, the first election in the process.
In the US election, the Republican and Democratic parties hold campaigns in each state to determine the candidate for the presidential election in November. The winners in each state will receive delegates to vote and choose their candidates at the party's summer convention. State elections are typically called simple ballot primaries, although some states follow a more complex conference-based format known as caucuses.
The Iowa caucuses are held Monday at 7 p.m. Central time, and results are usually announced immediately after the caucus closes, an hour or an hour and a half later. This year, the state Republican Party expects results soon after the session ends and will update results in real time.
So far, former President Donald Trump has a large lead in the 2024 Republican race, with Trump holding a commanding lead in Iowa itself and in national polls. Many experts predict a rematch for the White House in the 2020 presidential election between Trump and Democratic incumbent Joe Biden.
A number of highly rated names have dropped out of the subsequent pool of Republican candidates, including former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. Those who remain are now divided into two distinct groups: those who are (mostly) potential rivals of President Trump, and those who are also presidential candidates.
The major candidates vying in Iowa are:
favorite
donald trump
The former US president's campaign to retake the White House and once again win his party's nomination has slowed and been widely ridiculed. But his campaign has steadily taken a dominant position, and it seems unlikely that he will ever be ousted from that position.
Mr. Trump has waged a surprisingly organized campaign, refusing to attend Republican debates and using court appearances and numerous legal issues as a rallying cry to mobilize his base. His extreme statements, particularly about his plans for a second term and his targeting of political opponents, have sparked widespread concern that his candidacy poses a threat to American democracy.
His political style during the election period has remained unchanged from previous elections in 2016 and 2020, and has become more extreme. Many see this as a result of his intertwined political and legal fates, with a return to the Oval Office seen as President Trump's best chance to resolve his legal issues. .
potential rival
nikki haley
While the former governor of South Carolina and former ambassador to the United Nations under the Trump administration served as an alternative to Trump, there is a fine line between infuriating Trump's base with overly direct criticism. was.
That paid off, with Haley excelling in debates, working hard on the campaign trail, and moving up in the polls, finishing second in Iowa and giving her a chance to pull off an upset in strong New Hampshire. gave. But that prominence has now drawn the ire of President Trump, with both sides publicly hurling insults at each other.
Ron DeSantis
The right-wing Florida governor was widely seen as President Trump's most likely rival, but DeSantis has proven to be a disaster as a campaigner on the national stage. Mr. DeSantis, who has positioned himself as an extreme culture warrior and is running a campaign of hardcore right-wing politics, has proven himself to be deeply antagonized by voters.
He faced months of brutal attacks from Trump and his surrogates as he failed to make a breakthrough in the debates and his rigid campaign style damaged his standings. It's here. The result has been a long period of stagnation in the polls, with Haley significantly overtaking him as the leading “non-Trump” candidate.
will also be executed
Vivek Ramaswamy
An entrepreneur and obsessive Trump fan, he briefly took a moment to shine in the early debates and seemed to emerge as even more Trump-like than Trump, but younger and younger. He has emerged as a more dynamic candidate. But that didn't last long, as his poll numbers never caught on and his outrageous comments generated endless negative press coverage. He failed to qualify for the final debate.
Asa Hutchinson
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson stayed in the race, but few people really know why. He has not been eligible to participate in recent debates and is not expected to make a meaningful impression in Iowa or nationally, often dropping below 1% in polls. Hutchinson feels like he was campaigning as a pre-Trump Republican in a much different era than the one in which he built his career as a traditional conservative.
