Washington — Iowa is among the states where results are set to roll in on Super Tuesday. But the nominating contest will happen with little fanfare, after Democrats ditched the usual grandeur of the first-in-the nation contest and opted for a no-frills process instead.
Although Iowa Republicans this cycle hung on to the long-held caucusing tradition in the Hawkeye State, holding their contest on Jan. 15, Democrats met that day only to conduct party business. Democrats in the state received presidential preference cards by mail, with the results of the uncompetitive primary to be announced on Tuesday.
Since January, Iowa Democrats have been returning their preference cards, which function as ballots, with the results set to be released by the party on Tuesday evening. President Biden is expected to sail to an easy victory in the state, with long-shot candidates Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota and author Marianne Williamson as his competitors.
Why are Iowa Democrats releasing results tonight?
The change in Iowa comes after an embarrassing and chaotic showing at the 2020 Democratic caucuses, when the results were delayed due to problems with the reporting system. Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee altered its primary calendar, opting to hold the first nominating contest in South Carolina.
What were the results of Iowa’s Republican caucuses?
In Iowa’s GOP caucus in January, former President Donald Trump walked away with more than 50% of all ballots cast. He earned 20 delegates out of the 40 at stake, while former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley took home eight. Haley remains his sole challenger for the GOP nomination, facing intense pressure to make inroads on Super Tuesday.
What other states are voting on Super Tuesday?
The results out of Iowa come as 15 other states are conducting primaries and caucuses on Super Tuesday. More than a third of all available delegates for both Republicans and Democrats are at stake, with the primaries in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia. Republicans in Utah and Alaska are holding caucuses, as are Democrats in American Samoa.