Clinton and Cruz take Iowa

February 2, 2016 1:39 pm

By The Associated Press

news@abc6.com

Democrats and Republicans are now taking their message to New Hampshire ahead of next week’s primary.

Hillary Clinton narrowly won the Democratic caucuses in Iowa, outpacing a surprisingly strong challenge from Bernie Sanders to claim the first victory in the 2016 race for president.

The former secretary of state, senator from New York and first lady edged past the Vermont senator in a race the Iowa Democratic Party called the closest in its caucus history.

The Iowa Democratic Party said it would not do any recount of the close results, and a spokesman for the Sanders campaign said it does not intend to challenge the results of the caucuses.

Clinton’s victory in the Iowa Democratic caucuses means she will collect 23 delegates and Sanders will win 21.

With her advantage in superdelegates–the party officials who can support the candidate of their choice–Clinton now has a total of 385 delegates. Sanders has 29.

It takes 2,382 delegates to win the Democratic nomination for president.

A victorious Ted Cruz and buoyant Marco Rubio have emerged from Iowa with compelling claims to the outsider and mainstream mantles in the fractured Republican primary.

Cruz emerged with a comfortable lead Monday night to win the country’s leadoff vote in what had been a close race until the end.

Donald Trump, uncharacteristically humble after a second-place Iowa finish, was headed for far friendlier territory in New Hampshire, where the billionaire firebrand has been running strong.

Amid historically large turnout in Iowa, the unexpected benefactor was Rubio, who came within striking distance of Trump. Republicans had already been looking to New Hampshire to winnow their congested field.

The Florida senator’s strong showing bolsters his case that Republicans should coalesce behind him as the mainstream alternative to the rowdier Trump or Cruz.