After a close tally for both parties, the Iowa caucus proved to be a turning point for the presidential election. Sen. Ted Cruz claimed his victory over the anticipated winner, Donald Trump, with 27.6% while Trump finished 24.3%. That was the only surprise for the GOP candidates, however. Sen. Marco Rubio claimed third place at 23.1%, results that were much closer to Trump’s than expected.
On the Democratic side, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton triumphed over fellow candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, but not by much. Advancing by only a very small margin over Sanders, Clinton finished with 49.9% and Sanders at 49.6%.
Sanders and Clinton went head to head at the New Hampshire Democratic debate on Thursday Feb. 6, debating one on one for the first time. Among many issues discussed, Clinton and Sanders spent time explaining their Healthcare propositions. Both candidates are inevitably trying to widen the gap of their support.
On Saturday, Feb. 6, GOP candidates took the stage for the New Hampshire Republican debate, the last debate before the New Hampshire primary. After the surprising results from the Iowa Caucus, revenge was in the air. Christie relentlessly attacked Rubio, causing Rubio to appear off his game. Trump received several boo’s from the crowd during his first debate appearance since his absence from the Iowa Debate after targeting Bush. Meanwhile Cruz and Kasich remained collected while answering questions. Carson, however, provided comic relief as he tried to receive questions and speak. Ultimately the New Hampshire debate and primary are significant platforms for each of the candidate’s future campaigns, especially in leading to Super Tuesday.