Even in minus 20 degree cold, the caucus convention center in Des Moines is crowded.
“Trump is qualified” vs. “Haley has common sense vs. “supports DeSantis”
The U.S. state of Iowa began the process to select a Republican presidential candidate as of 7 p.m. on the 15th (local time). Iowa is the first state in the United States to begin a presidential primary this year.
Republican caucuses are held simultaneously at 1,657 convention centers in 99 counties. Party members attending the convention listen to speeches by representatives of primary candidates at each convention venue, then write down the candidate they support on a ballot and submit it.
In the Republican primary, former President Donald Trump, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vibuk Ramaswamy, and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson are competing in the Republican primary.
In order to vote at the caucus, you must be a party member and must attend the designated convention venue on the day. As the bitter cold wave hit the entire Iowa region, there were concerns that it would also affect caucus participation rates.
However, First Church of the Open Bible, one of the caucus venues in Des Moines, Iowa, was already crowded with people 30 minutes before the caucus started.
The temperature in Des Moines that night reached minus 20 degrees, but many party members walked through the cold to exercise their authority as Republicans.
The attendees who met before the caucus started all looked excited and spoke passionately about the candidate they supported.
Waller (72), who is in his 70s, said, “We need a candidate who can correct all of President Joe Biden’s mistakes, and Trump is the right candidate,” and added, “The Democratic Party is making various attempts to stop him, but it will be of no use.”
Damian (29) and his wife, who came to the convention holding the hands of their two children, said, “DeSantis is the best alternative to Trump in the Republican Party,” and added, “I agree with many of his policies, including border security.”
D&C, a woman in her 50s, said, “I came to support Hailey. “It is good that he is the candidate with the most common sense,” she said. “I think he will lead the country reliably if he becomes president, and I hope that tonight will be an opportunity for great change.”
In a public opinion poll released two days before the caucus, former President Trump led with 48%, followed by former Ambassador Haley and Governor DeSantis with 20% and 16% approval ratings, respectively.
However, among those who met at the site that day, there was a significant amount of public opinion that they would vote for Governor DeSantis. Governor DeSantis focused early on targeting Iowa voters. He visited all 99 counties, and it is reported that campaign officials visited approximately 900,000 households one by one to appeal for support.
Carol Zimmerman (55) said, “Just yesterday, people from Florida came to my house. “It’s a huge deal to have good people go door to door and explain,” she said. “I’ll be watching tonight praying that the right candidate will be chosen.”
When all attendees sat down on their chairs, the host announced the start of the competition, and everyone took an oath to act in accordance with freedom and justice.
The presidential primary process began in earnest at 7:30 p.m., and Governor DeSantis, former Ambassador Haley, former Governor Hutchinson, and supporters of former President Trump each gave speeches appealing for support for about 1 to 5 minutes each, and then attendees announced the names of the candidates they supported. Few ballots were submitted.
The voting results were announced at 8:13 p.m., and in the 12th Congressional District, former Ambassador Haley received 64 votes, beating former President Trump (48 votes) and Governor DeSantis (24 votes). In the 13th Congressional District, former President Trump narrowly defeated former Ambassador Haley, who received 41 votes, with 42 votes, and Governor DeSantis received 31 votes.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.