Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis battle for crucial SECOND place in Iowa caucus: Rivals go down to the wire in vital contest for their future in the Republican race

Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley are counting on every vote in the Iowa caucuses to let them know how they predicted the early primaries.

Several media outlets, including the Associated Press, predicted that Iowa would favor Donald Trump less than half an hour after the start of the caucuses.

Former U.N. Ambassador Haley and Florida Governor DeSantis are still locked in a bitter battle that many have been calling the race for second place for months. And their supporters are furious that the race was called without considering hundreds of precinct locations.

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.

Haley is locked in a bitter race for second place with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after the Iowa caucuses were called for Donald Trump about a half-hour after the caucuses opened Monday night. DeSantis appears on stage in Dubuque, Iowa, with wife Casey and son Mason, five

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.

The candidates are expected to make speeches if enough results come in — and then immediately head back east for the New Hampshire primary.

Trump will deliver a victory speech, while it is still unclear where Haley and DeSantis will end up in the race for second place.

A poll released at the start of the Iowa caucuses showed Trump with 57% support, while DeSantis and Haley finished in second place with 17% each

Voters arrive at a caucus location at Fellows Elementary School to choose their Republican candidate

Can Trump pull off a record victory: The former president eats a pizza he delivered to the Waukee Fire Department on Sunday

People arrive at Franklin Jr. High, Precinct Des Moines 33, for the Iowa Caucus voting in Des Moines, Iowa

Nikki Haley spoke on Franklin Jr. High – and Donald Trump Jr. appeared shortly afterwards to also make comments after a victory was predicted for his father

“Given our situation in this country right now, for me, Trump is the only candidate. He will not back down,” said 71-year-old caucusgoer Vicki Cannon of Ankeny.

“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 though people don’t like him because of the way he talks sometimes, he was a good president.”

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.

Ron DeSantis, vying for second place, greets supporters at Jerseys Pub and Grub in Cedar Rapids

“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.