DES MOINES, Iowa—After a long year of campaigning, Republican and Democratic presidential candidates face voters for the first time, battling in Iowa Monday for a boost toward the White House—or in many cases, simply a reason to stay in the race.
The contests in both parties were tight heading into the evening caucuses. Among Republicans, billionaire Donald Trump appeared to have a slim edge over Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders were locked in an unexpectedly close Democratic contest, reviving memories of the former secretary of state’s disappointing showing in Iowa eight years ago.
“We knocked on 125,000 doors this past weekend,” Clinton told NBC’s “Today” show. “Although it’s a tight race, a lot of the people who are committed to caucusing for me will be there and standing up for me and I will do the same for them in the campaign and in the presidency.”
