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Majority of Iowa Republicans choose Trump
WILLIAMSBURG — Iowans overwhelmingly chose Donald Trump to be the Republican nominee for the 2024 election, giving him 51% of caucus votes totaling 56,260.
Nikki Haley, though she won Johnson County — the only county in Iowa that didn’t favor Trump — finished third to Ron DeSantis statewide.
DeSantis garnered 21.2% of the vote to Haley’s 19.1%
Vivek Ramaswamy finished the night with 7.7% of the votes; Ryan Binkley had 0.7% and Asa Hutchison 0.2%.
Ramaswamy consequently dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump.
In Iowa County, Trump had 360 votes; DeSantis, 146; Haley, 99; Ramaswamy, 41; Binkley 4; and Chris Christie, 1. Christie dropped out of the race earlier this month.
In Benton County, 652 caucus-goers voted for Trump; 239 for DeSantis; 105 for Nikki Haley; 94 for Ramaswamy; 3 for Binkley and 1 for Chris Christie.
Poweshiek County voters gave Trump 293 votes; DeSantis, 132; Haley, 87, Ramaswamy, 46; Binkley, 5, Hutchison 1 and Christie 1.
At the Williamsburg recreation center Monday, Iowa State Rep. Brad Sherman and his wife, Carole, arrived two hours before the caucus to set up. They thought the Republican Party had two rooms in which to caucus but found only one when they arrived, so both Williamsburg and Pilot/Troy/York caucused in the same room.
“In 2016, this room was packed, and we had another room over there that was packed,” said Brad Sherman before the caucus. He was concerned about space with two precincts caucusing in the same room.
Christine Zabawa, of Williamsburg, had never caucused before, but she arrived at Monday’s caucus in Williamsburg “because I want to support Trump.” Zabawa wore a hat bedazzled with Trump’s name.
“I have two kids in the military,” said Zabawa. Her son is in the Red Sea, and her daughter is in Japan.
Zabawa said she doesn’t like everything Trump does, but she thinks he’s good with the military. “I think he’s a good negotiator.”
Dawn Coffman, precinct captain for DeSantis, set up a table of DeSantis merchandise outside the caucus room. “I think he can be a new generational leader for the Republican Party,” Coffman said. “I believe in his character. I believe in his message.”
Coffman said she’s impressed by DeSantis’ management of Florida, especially during hurricanes. She likes that he stands up to the media and confronts reporters when they frame things untruthfully.
DeSantis doesn’t get flustered and doesn’t participate in the name-calling during debates, said Coffman. He’s not confrontational or rude. “That’s what I’m looking for,” Coffman said.
“If we don’t go another direction, there’s just going to be more division.”
When the caucus began at 7 p.m., more than 200 people had made their way into the caucus room, many standing in the back for lack of seating. Some had parked on the highway and taken a long walk down the driveway in subzero temperatures to participate.
“It’s pretty important that we’re first in the nation,” said Williamsburg Caucus Chairman Tim Dilly, “and we want to keep it that way.”
“It’s a great turnout,” said Pilot/Troy/York Caucus Chair Brad Sherman. “You guys obviously aren’t intimidated by the weather.”
Williamsburg Mayor Adam Grier spoke to the crowd in support of DeSantis, a veteran and governor of the third-most populous state in the country. DeSantis stood up to the “woke” policies of Disney and had one of the most proactive COVID strategies in the nation, Grier said.
Grier appreciates what Trump did as president — giving the country a good economy, keeping peace in the Middle East and putting justices on the Supreme Court who eventually overturned Rowe vs. Wade. But Trump was a president for the past. DeSantis is a president for the future, Grier said.
No matter what happens at the caucus, anyone is better than what the country has now, said Grier.
Anne Collingwood spoke in favor of Haley. Former South Carolina governor and ambassador to the United Nations, Haley has experience standing up to people.
“I like Trump. I like what he’s done in the past,” said Collingwood, but she thinks Haley has more going for her.
Another speaker asked the caucus crowd to give Ramaswamy a chance. “He’s an actual fiscal conservative.” Trump and Biden both supported stimulus packages that increased our national debt.
Sherman donned his red Trump hat and said he endorses the former president for one primary reason: “I believe he won the last election.”
Trump has endured the unjust weaponization of the justice system but hasn’t given up, said Sherman. “I’m looking for someone who’s tough and will stand up to the Deep State. He did it once, and he’ll do it again.
Williamsburg caucus voters gave Trump 50 votes; DeSantis, 36; Haley, 21; Ramaswamy, 6; and Binkley, 1.
In the Pilot/Troy/York caucus, Trump had 44 votes; DeSantis, 19; Haley, 17; and Ramaswamy, 10.
