What’s at Stake at the Iowa Caucuses

While the number of delegates at stake in the Iowa Republican caucuses amounts to less than 2 percent of the total at stake in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, the impact of the contest can hardly be overstated. The victor will lay claim to an early lead, but every candidate’s performance in Iowa will be measured against how they polled heading into the race. The difference between polling versus the final results will gauge who emerges as winners and losers from the Jan. 15 Republican caucuses, the first electoral contest in the 2024 presidential race. As of Jan. 2, support among likely GOP voters for former President Donald Trump was at exactly 50 percent in 538’s average of Iowa polls, more than 30 points ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 18 percent, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley at 16 percent, and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 6 percent....