Former President Donald Trump just barely failed to sweep the entire Iowa Caucus on Monday after losing just one out of the state’s 99 counties — reportedly by a single vote.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley won Johnson County with 1,271 votes, approximately 35.5% of the vote. Trump received 1,270 votes, according to GOP officials in the state.
Haley’s single-vote advantage disrupts the former president’s otherwise clean sweep of the Hawkeye State’s caucus.
GOP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY BATTLE MOVES ON TO NEW HAMPSHIRE AFTER TRUMP DOMINATES IN IOWA
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, with his wife Kathryn, endorses former President Donald Trump during a campaign event in Indianola, Iowa. (Reuters/Brendan McDermid)
However, her notable disruption of Trump’s dominating victory did not save her from falling behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who finished second place overall.
The former governor claimed her third-place finish was evidence of momentum when considering polling numbers in upcoming primary states.
“When you look at how well we’re doing in New Hampshire, in South Carolina and beyond, I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race,” Haley said.
QUESTIONS SWIRL ABOUT DESANTIS CAMPAIGN AFTER GOVERNOR LANDS SECOND-PLACE FINISH IN IOWA
Nikki Haley speaks at a caucus night party at the Marriott Hotel in West Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
DeSantis edged out Haley for second place. The result was a much-needed boost for DeSantis, who visited every county and invested significant time and resources in the Hawkeye State.
“Because of your support, in spite of all of what they threw at us, we got our ticket punched out of Iowa,” DeSantis said in his speech.
DeSantis outperformed some polling expectations on Monday night, finishing at roughly 21% when the Real Clear Politics average of polls showed him at 15.7% before votes were cast.
Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to supporters during a caucus night party in West Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
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“They threw everything at Ron DeSantis,” a senior DeSantis campaign official told Fox News Digital late Monday night. “They couldn’t kill him. He is not only still standing, but he’s now earned his ticket out of Iowa. This is going to be a long battle ahead, but that is what this campaign is built for. The stakes are too high for this nation and we will not back down.”
Trump currently holds large leads in the polls in both New Hampshire and South Carolina. The former president, according to the Real Clear Politics average of polls, holds a 14-point lead in New Hampshire and a 30-point lead in South Carolina.
Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
