Ron DeSantis captures crucial SECOND place in 2024 Iowa caucus edging out Nikki Haley: Florida governor gains needed momentum boost heading into New Hampshire as he tries to catch up to Donald Trump’s dominance in the polls

Ron DeSantis defeated Nikki Haley to take second place in the 2024 Iowa caucuses after Donald Trump handily defeated the rest of the Republican pool, several outlets predicted Monday night.

The No. 2 finish gives the Florida governor a much-needed boost heading into New Hampshire as he tries to overtake Donald Trump’s dominance in the polls.

Governor DeSantis declared a victory for his campaign on Monday, claiming, “We punched our ticket out of Iowa.” He now heads to South Carolina for a campaign stop in Greenville before heading to New Hampshire, where the second primary will be held on January 23.

As of 10:30 PM CST, DeSantis had more than 21 percent of the vote in Iowa, having done everything he could to get out the vote in the first primary state. Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley is in third place with 19 percent.

Donald Trump was expected to win in Iowa less than half an hour after the caucuses began.

But supporters of Haley and DeSantis are outraged that the race was called without hundreds of locations already registered in the district.

“They threw everything but the kitchen sink at us. They’ve spent almost $50 million attacking us. No one has been through that much, just pitched Iowa,” DeSantis told a ballroom of supporters in West Des Moines on Monday night.

‘The media was against us; they wrote our obituary months ago. They even called the election before people even got a chance to vote,” he said to a chorus of boos and jeers. “I can tell you that because of your support, despite everything they threw at us – everyone against us – we got our ticket out of Iowa.”

A senior DeSantis campaign official said in a statement about Monday’s results: “This will be a long fight, but that’s what this campaign was built for. The stakes are too high for this country and we will not back down.”

An excited crowd of DeSantis supporters gathered to watch the governor’s post-caucus comments angering early calls for Trump’s victory.

With nearly 80 percent of votes counted across the state, each county received a majority of votes for Trump.

“I want to congratulate Ron and Nikki on having a great time together,” Trump said during his victory speech on Monday evening. ‘We’re all having a good time together. And I think they both actually did a really good job.”

DeSantis stopped at a few caucus locations in Dubuque, Iowa before heading to West Des Moines for his rally night party. Meanwhile, Haley spoke to caucusgoers at Franklin Jr. High for her party in the same city where DeSantis appears.

Ignoring warnings of freezes and minus 30-degree wind chills, voters poured into 1,657 counties across the state Monday evening to choose who they wanted on the GOP ticket for the 2024 general election.

Former President Trump, 77, said he expects a “great night” and praised the “spirit” of his supporters who ventured into life-threatening circumstances.

“Well, that was quick. Thank you Iowa,” Donald Trump Jr. posted along with a photo of his father, less than an hour after the caucuses began.

“Now let’s put an end to this nonsense and address the madness that is today’s Democratic party. Enough is enough! It’s time to put America first for a change.”

The Arctic blast that has ravaged the state has left 150 million Americans under weather warnings, canceled 7,000 flights across the country and killed at least four people — including a man in Iowa.

But that didn’t stop voters from lining up at several precincts across the state in the coldest caucus in decades.

Donald Trump Jr. fooled Haley into visiting the same caucus site as her and vouching for his father.

At Franklin Jr.’s suburban Des Moines caucus location. High Haley threw herself. Meanwhile, Don Jr. in the well of the hall to cast votes to support his father instead.

He said there was “world peace” during his father’s time in office and claimed, “Nikki Haley would like to be involved in any war the world has to offer.”

Don Jr. said Haley “hid from people” backstage before the caucus speech because she doesn’t want to face questions, and praised himself for doing the opposite.

‘We are here to answer you. Don’t stand behind a podium,” Trump Jr. said.

A 71-year-old caucus-goer from Ankeny, Iowa, said, “Given our situation in this country right now, for me, the only candidate is Trump. He will not back down.”

“I feel like the only person who can get us out – I’m just sad it’s only going to be for four years – is Trump. Even if people don’t like him because of the way he talks sometimes, he was a good president,” Vicki Cannon said.

In Fort Dodge, Iowa, Melanie Klaassen, 42, planned to participate in her first caucuses.

She and her husband, Michael, who are farmers, supported Trump in 2016 but went to their first rally in 2020 out of “curiosity,” she said.

They found camaraderie there with people from “all walks of life,” Melanie said.

“We always voted, but we didn’t care how it would turn out,” she said. That has changed since Trump. “It feels like our voices really matter more,” she said.

In Pella, Iowa Darla De Haan had Nikki Haley at the top of her list.

De Haan, a psychotherapist, said she had not participated in years but was looking forward to participating this time.

“For me it’s really about character,” says De Haan. ‘I want to see people who have integrity, who keep their word. When you’re around someone, I get a sense of whether they do what they say.”

The Iowa caucuses will provide the first tangible results of the 2024 Republican presidential primary, and historically the battle could set the stage for the rest of the cycle.

Since the Democratic caucus in 1972, the Iowa caucuses have been the nation’s first primaries.

Sites include places like elementary and middle school gymnasiums, churches, golf clubs, banks, city halls, opera houses, community centers, and even some citizens open their homes to host caucuses.

Only those registered as Republicans can participate in the caucus, although Iowa citizens at least 18 years old can register in person or change their party registration at the caucus site.