Last updated: 16.01.2024, 05:47 a.m.
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Unsurprisingly, Trump won the first Republican primary for the U.S. presidential nomination. Rather, the question was who would secure second place. Now it's clear: It's Ron DeSantis. © Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP/dpa
Unsurprisingly, Trump won the first Republican primary for the U.S. presidential nomination. Rather, the question was who would secure second place.
Des Moines/Washington - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has secured second place in the first U.S. Republican primary for the presidential nomination - far behind former President Donald Trump. This was reported by the television channels Fox News and CNN during the night on the basis of their own forecasts. Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley came in third. DeSantis and Haley had gone head-to-head for second place. Trump emerged as the clear winner among Republican presidential candidates in the first primary of the election year.
Trump's victory had been expected. The 77-year-old was leading by a wide margin in the polls. DeSantis should breathe a sigh of relief with a view to his second place. In recent months, he had steadily lost support in the polls and had remained conspicuously pale in the TV duels of the Republicans. The arch-conservative 45-year-old had focused particularly on Iowa during the election campaign and had toured intensively through the state, where many evangelical Christians live.
In the U.S., the party base determines its candidate for the presidential election. The voting process of the primaries is complex and varies from state to state. The Republican kick-off in Iowa heralds the start of an election year. The actual presidential election will take place on 5 November. In terms of numbers, Iowa has little significance for the selection of candidates. But those who do well in the small Midwestern state can count on tailwinds in future votes. Dpa