Iowa caucus confusion: What the debacle means for top candidates

Pete Buttigieg

Buttigieg’s campaign has also released their own numbers that show the former mayor as having won the caucuses. Even the Sanders campaign’s numbers show Buttigieg doing better than more senior rivals Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren. With the campaign in New Hampshire already underway, Buttigieg has aggressively pushed the narrative that he was victorious in Iowa. This could give him unexpected early momentum in the primaries.

Also read | What went wrong with Iowa Democratic caucuses?

Joe Biden

The delay in the announcement of the Iowa results could be a blessing for Joe Biden, who is seen as one of the strongest contenders to claim the Democratic nomination. Unofficial numbers and polls had shown, however, that Biden did poorly Iowa, likely coming in fourth place after Sanders, Buttigieg and Warren. But with no official results declared, Biden goes into the New Hampshire campaign relatively unscathed after what could have been a damaging night in Iowa.

Elizabeth Warren

Warren had surged in polls ahead of the Iowa caucuses, but unofficial numbers showed that she had not done as well as Sanders or Buttigieg. The delay in the results is likely to lead to an agonising wait for the senator as she seeks to figure out where she stands at the beginning of the race and what strategy she should adopt going forward.

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