The Student News Site of Simmons University

The Simmons Voice

The Student News Site of Simmons University

The Simmons Voice

The Student News Site of Simmons University

The Simmons Voice

Candidate pool dwindles after Iowa Caucus results

2016 Iowa Caucuses emblemBy Jessie Kuenzel
Staff Writer

Martin O’Malley—former Democratic governor of Maryland—and Mike Huckabee—former Republican governor of Arkansas—have both officially suspended their presidential campaigns today after disappointing results in Monday’s Iowa Caucus.

Huckabee, who had previously won the caucus back in 2008, finished with less than two percent of the Republican party vote this time around. Huckabee officially announced his campaign suspension over Twitter last night, thanking his followers for their “loyal support.”

After finishing with less than one percent of the Democratic vote, O’Malley also announced his withdrawal to supporters in Des Moines Monday night. With a campaign that failed to gain traction against Clinton and Sanders, O’Malley’s bid for presidency has struggled from the start.

With O’Malley out of contention, the race for the Democratic nomination is now a neck-and-neck affair between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

Although Clinton’s campaign has declared the caucus a win, with a difference of less than half of a percentage point between herself and Sanders—Clinton received 49.8 percent of votes where Sanders received 49.6—the results are being widely acknowledged as a tie. At press time, the Sanders campaign was still assessing whether they would ask for a recount of the votes in Iowa.

Huckabee’s withdrawal is less significant with several Republican candidates still vying for the spotlight, with Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, and businessman Donald Trump pulling ahead of their peers.

The remaining presidential candidates are now turning their attentions towards next week’s New Hampshire primary, where Sanders and Trump are overwhelmingly leading in polls.

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

All The Simmons Voice Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *