As predicted by most political experts, former President Donald Trump won the Iowa Republican caucus, giving his re-election campaign a strong start for the 2024 presidential election.
With Trump winning the state, Republican candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley have quickly fallen behind and could face pressure in the next several state primary elections.
What Happened: Trump won the state of Iowa with 51% of the vote, earning 20 delegates in the Republican primary race. DeSantis ranked second with 21.2% of the vote, earning nine delegates. Haley ranked third with 19.1% of the vote and eight delegates.
Ranking a distant fourth place, Vivek Ramaswamy dropped out of the race Monday night, joining the list of candidates who have exited the bid for the White House.
Ramaswamy pledged his support to Trump after dropping out, which leaves Trump, DeSantis and Haley as the three main candidates left in the race to win the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
What's Next: After losing in Iowa, DeSantis and Haley are quickly turning their attention to the next key states on the Republican primary calendar.
Following the Iowa results, Haley took to the offensive, saying "I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race. The question before America is now very clear: Do you want more of the same, or do you want a new generation of conservative leadership?"
She will hold a campaign event in New Hampshire at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday, with the state's governor John Sununu also participating. Sununu recently endorsed Haley and is considered a reason why she has been rising in state polls.
Meanwhile, DeSantis addressed his supporters after the Iowa loss, and said he's in the race "for the long haul," according to the New York Post. The Florida governor was set to head to South Carolina early Tuesday before a trip to New Hampshire.
New Hampshire holds its Republican primary on Jan. 23.
The latest polls in New Hampshire show Haley gaining support. A recent Emerson College poll showed Trump at 44% and Haley at 28%. The poll was conducted when Chris Christie was still in the race, with him earning 12% of the vote and the majority of his supporters listing Haley as their second choice.
A CNN poll also showed a narrow lead for Trump at 39% to Haley's 32%, suggesting New Hampshire could be a close race between the two candidates, with DeSantis likely the third choice.
Other early state primaries include Nevada on Feb. 6 and South Carolina on Feb. 24. Super Tuesday, held on March 5 will mark the biggest day of delegate votes at stake in the race, potentially serving as the last stand for remaining candidates before they consider withdrawing, should they last until then.
South Carolina is Haley's home and the state she governed for eight years, which could make it an important battleground for her momentum in the campaign. A recent poll showed Trump with a 29-point lead at 54% to Haley's 25%, with many voters still undecided.
Ramaswamy's exit from the race might benefit Trump, given their overlapping voter bases, turning the contest between Haley and DeSantis into a two-person race for the second spot at this stage.
Rumors of DeSantis dropping out of the race if he lost Iowa have faded away, but it remains unclear how long he will stay in if he continues to rank in second place. Campaign managers said DeSantis has enough cash to make it into March, according to Bloomberg.
"We have plenty of fuel in the tank to get the job done to get into Super Tuesday," DeSantis's finance co-chair said.
More Debates?: After five Republican primary debates that saw numerous candidates compete on stage at the start of the race, the latest GOP debate had just Haley and DeSantis on stage in the televised event.
Sixth and seventh Republican primary debates are scheduled for Jan. 18 and Jan. 21 to air on Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) unit ABC News and Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) unit CNN, respectively.
While DeSantis, Haley and Trump all qualifying for the latest debates, it could be just the governor of Florida participating.
Haley recently said she will not take part in any more presidential debates unless Trump is participating, while DeSantis remains committed to the events.
"I won't snub New Hampshire voters like both Nikki Haley and Donald Trump, and plan to honor my commitments. I look forward to debating two empty podiums in the Granite State this week," DeSantis said on Twitter.