DES MOINES, Iowa — Republicans picked a Washington outsider over a New York outsider in their caucuses Monday night in Iowa, while Democrats battled to a virtual tie.
The results in both parties reflect Iowan’s deep distrust of Washington, but they also suggest that more establishment candidates may still have a path to their partie’s presidential nominations.
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas rode a wave of conservative religious support and a strong campaign organization to defeat Donald Trump and a surprisingly strong Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in the state’s Republican caucuses.
In the Democratic caucuses, with more than 94 percent of precincts reporting, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held a lead of less than half a percentage point over Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Cruz claimed victory at 10:20 p.m. local time. “Tonight is a victory for the grass roots,” he said to loud applause. “Tonight is a victory for courageous conservatives across Iowa, and all across this great nation.”
In the GOP caucuses, with more than 90 percent of precincts reporting, Cruz had 28 percent of the vote and Trump 24 percent. Rubio took 23 percent.
Trump, a flamboyant businessman who has never held elective office, showed no disappointment.
He said he would continue to battle for his party’s top prize. “We will go on to get the nomination,” he told cheering supporters in West Des Moines.
Rubio’s strength will draw the attention of the Republican Party’s establishment, which is looking to coalesce around a candidate who could challenge Cruz and Trump.
“We are not waiting any longer!” Rubio told cheering supporters at his election night rally. “I thank you. I will be our nominee.”
Caucuses in both parties were crowded, but the meetings appeared to go relatively smoothly.
Sam Martin caucused for Rubio on Monday. He said the Florida senator was “not as extreme as Ted Cruz and he’s not as stupid as Donald Trump.”
At a Republican caucus in Clive, Cruz supporter Leah Stroh called Cruz a “Christ-centered” candidate reliably opposed to abortion. Trump, she said, is an “unintelligent” person who tells people what they want to hear.
Cruz followed a traditional electoral strategy in Iowa. His staff was in the state for months, using new data analytics to understand the electorate and to reach out to caucus-goers.
He appeared to survive his sometimes confusing criticism of government help for the ethanol industry. Many Iowans depend on the fuel blend for jobs and income.
He also survived a controversy about a last-minute mailer claiming a “violation” by voters who didn’t caucus. And Trump’s repeated assertions that Cruz’s Canadian birthplace disqualified him did not appear to have a great impact.
Trump turned conventional campaign wisdom on its head. He didn’t buy enormous amounts of television time or engage in the person-to-person politics believed to be important in Iowa. His campaign outreach was thought to be inferior to Cruz’s.
Yet he barnstormed the state in the final weeks, drawing enormous crowds and media attention. He promised to build a wall on the Mexican border, to take care of veterans and to “make America great again.”
Clinton told audiences that Sanders’ ideas would be too difficult to achieve. He has argued for a new focus on wages, health care and campaign finance revisions.
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, a Democrat, also competed in Iowa. He suspended his campaign following a poor showing there.