President Biden won Iowa’s Democratic caucuses on Tuesday, according to a Decision Desk HQ projection.
After negotiations with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) over a shakeup to the party’s nominating calendar, Iowa Democrats sent out mail-in presidential preference cards and held in-person precinct caucus meetings back in January — but made plans to announce the mail-in caucus results on Super Tuesday.
The setup let Iowa hold onto its long-standing starting spot on the Democrats’ nominating lineup without fully bucking a new plan that bumped South Carolina up to the first-place slot. The in-person caucuses on Jan. 15 were just to conduct party business, while presidential preference was taken only through the mail-in system.
“We believe this delegate selection plan is a compromise and meets the requirements set forth by this committee, complies with Iowa law, and most importantly sets Iowa Democrats up to win in 2024,” Rita Hart, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, wrote in a letter to committee members and chairs back in October.
The Biden-backed DNC plan shifted South Carolina earlier in a bid to ensure more diverse states weigh in earlier in the nominating process.
Former President Trump easily won Iowa’s GOP caucuses in January. Now, he faces rival Nikki Haley as his last major Republican challenger as he tries to win the nomination and score a rematch with Biden.