Facing minimal opposition, President Donald Trump wins Republican caucuses in Iowa

Facing minimal opposition, President Donald Trump wins Republican caucuses in Iowa. Turut for Monday’s Iowa caucuses was on pace to match 2016 levels based on early data, a state party official said, even as some sites reported long lines and a record number of people participating as Democrats began choosing a minee to take on President Donald Trump.

It was too soon to tell what final turut numbers will be, amid delays in reporting results. But Iowa Democratic Party Communications Director Mandy McClure said early indications were turut was on pace to match 2016, when about 170,000 people participated. high-water mark for contest was 2008 Iowa Democratic caucuses, when nearly 240,000 participated and Barack Obama defeated Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and or candidates.

Some party officials and campaigns were expecting far more people to participate than four years ago due to Democrats’ enthusiasm to replace Trump, and at least in some locations caucusgoers reported packed rooms and slow counts.

start of a caucus in downtown Iowa City h to be delayed by more than an hour as hundreds of people were still waiting to check in or register to vote. Inside Englert atre near University of Iowa, 500 first-floor seats were mostly full and organizers were opening an ditional 200 seats in balcony.

In Polk County, Iowa’s largest county and home to capital city, Des Moines, Democratic county party chairman Sean Bagniewski said party h printed tens of thousands of extra voter registration forms but some precincts were running out.

“We’re making copies and deliveries to get m covered, but this caucus is gonna be big one,” Bagniewski tweeted.

More than 500 people crowded into a room at University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame in Iowa City to caucus, with many sitting on floor. Around 400 people were at a high school cafeteria in Des Moines, and at ar Des Moines precinct caucus chair reported 844 participants, about double 2016 number.

Iowa state Sen. Zach Wahls, precinct chairman at his caucus in Coralville in eastern Iowa, said 529 people who participated Monday was a record, surpassing previous record by more than 100 people.

In Iowa City, cheers erupted in packed ater after precinct organizer Lois Cox anunced that last people in line h finally me it inside building. “We’ll start momentarily!” she said.

But Cox later said delays h an impact on participation. About 50 people who signed in to participate left before first choice, kwn as alignment, could be counted. As counting continued, increasingly anxious crowd briefly chanted “Dump Trump!”

Among those attending Monday night’s caucuses were some newcomers to Democratic politics. Of record number who turned out at his Coralville caucus, at least 150 people filled out paperwork to change ir party registration from independent or Republican to Democratic so y could participate, Wahls said.

rman and Lera Iverson, both 86, voted Democratic for first time. Lera Iverson said y’ve voted Republican “forever,” but y joined with ir daughter in caucusing for Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who was viable at caucus at Hoover High School in rth Des Moines.

Why did y switch parties?

“We don’t like Trump,” said rman Iverson, a retired electrical engineer. “We don’t want him to be president anymore. We’ve h eugh of him.”