White recognizes that a leader is needed to uphold Integrity, accountability and professionalism, and that’s what she stands for, the release said.

White’s plans are to meet with the leaders of each county department to find out what is needed to ensure its individual growth, development and opportunities for improvement, the release said.

White has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cleveland State University.

Her public service includes: serving two terms as a Lorain city councilwoman beginning in 1990; precinct committee woman; served 12 years as a councilwoman in Sheffield Village, including president pro-tempore and acting mayor for 45 days; chair of finance in Sheffield Village ensuring where monies were appropriated and accounting for monies while reporting and balancing the budget.

White has served as a bank branch manager, assistant vice president and licensed investment officer for 21 years, and a licensed insurance representative.

Her community service includes: treasurer of Lorain Democratic Women’s Club; member of Federated Democratic Women of Ohio; member of Lorain County Racial Equity Center; past president of Alcohol & Drug Addiction Services (ADAS) Board of Lorain County; Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program; trustee for Direct Action; secretary for College Heights Homeowners Association; member of Historical Society Sheffield Village; and Board of Trustees for Church on the North Coast.

COLUMBUS — A second transgender candidate running for a seat in the Republican-majority Ohio House is at risk of being disqualified from the ballot after omitting her former name on circulating petitions.

The Mercer County Board of Elections is set to vote Thursday on whether Arienne Childrey, a Democrat from Auglaize County and one of four transgender individuals campaigning for the Legislature, is eligible to run after not disclosing her previous name, also known as her deadname, on her petition paperwork.

A little-used Ohio elections law, unfamiliar even to many state elections officials, mandates that candidates disclose any name changes in the last five years on their petitions paperwork, with exemptions for name changes due to marriage. But the law isn’t listed in the 33-page candidate requirement guide and there is no space on the petition paperwork to list any former names.

Childrey, who legally changed her name in 2020, said she would have provided her deadname if she had known about the law.

“I would have filled out whatever was necessary, because at the end of the day, while it would have been a hit to my pride, there is something much more important than my pride, and that’s fighting for this community,” Childrey said.

If she isn’t disqualified, Childrey will be running against Rep. Angie King, a Republican lawmaker who has sponsored anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and voted for bans on gender-affirming care for minors as well as barring transgender athletes from female sports.

The law has been in place in some form for decades, though it’s rarely been used and usually arises in the context of candidates wishing to use a nickname.

Last week, Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose said while his office is open to putting the rule on the candidate guide, they are not open to tweaking the law and that it’s up to candidates to ensure they comply with Ohio election law.

But Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday that the law should be amended and that the county boards should stop disqualifying transgender candidates on these grounds. DeWine did not say how it might be amended.

“We shouldn’t be denying ballot access for that reason,” the governor told Cleveland.com’s editorial board. “It certainly should be fixed.”

DeWine recently vetoed a proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors, but the state House overrode that veto. The Senate is expected to do the same Jan. 24.

In various ways, all four transgender candidates have been affected by the law’s name-change notification requirement.

Vanessa Joy, a real estate photographer from Stark County running for the Ohio House, who legally changed her name in 2022, was the first to be disqualified for omitting her deadname from petition paperwork. She appealed her disqualification but was denied. Joy is now working with legal counsel and the Ohio Democratic Party to try to change the law.

Joy says the current law is a barrier to transgender individuals who want to seek office but do not want to disclose their deadname — the name a transgender person was assigned at birth but does not align with their gender identity.

Ari Faber, a Democratic candidate for the Ohio state Senate from Athens, was cleared to run but must use his deadname since he has not legally changed it.

Bobbie Arnold, a contractor from West Alexandria running as a Democrat for the Ohio House, had her possible disqualification dismissed Tuesday by the Montgomery County Board of Elections and will be on the ballot in the March 19 primary.

When presenting the facts of Arnold’s situation to the county board Tuesday, the board’s director, Jeff Rezabek, recommended the members take no action on the disqualification. He noted that the candidate guide did not list the rule and that there is no evidence Arnold was intentionally deceitful toward voters about her identity. The members went along with Rezabek’s recommendation.

However, under the state law, if Arnold were to win her election, she could still be removed from office for not disclosing her deadname. Arnold is consulting her lawyer about that part of the law but hopes that between Joy’s work with her own team to change the law and DeWine’s call for candidates to stay on the ballot, that won’t be an issue come November.

For now, she’s excited to start campaigning.

“It’s important for the overall well-being of our society that every voice has an opportunity to be heard,” Arnold said. “And that’s something that we’re not experiencing right now in Ohio.”

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Samantha Hendrickson is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

On the presidential campaign trail, former President Donald Trump is, once again, promising to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act — a nebulous goal that became one of his administration’s splashiest policy failures.

“We’re going to fight for much better health care than Obamacare. Obamacare is a catastrophe,” Trump said at a campaign stop in Iowa on Jan. 6.

The perplexing revival of one of Trump’s most politically damaging crusades comes at a time when the Obama-era health law is even more popular and widely used than it was in 2017, when Trump and congressional Republicans proved unable to pass their own plan to replace it. That failed effort was a big part of why Republicans lost control of the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterms.

Despite repeated promises, Trump never presented his own Obamacare replacement. And much of what Trump’s administration actually accomplished in health care has been reversed by the Biden administration.

Still, Trump secured some significant policy changes that remain in place today, including efforts to bring more transparency to prices charged by hospitals and paid by health insurers.

Trying to predict Trump’s priorities in a second term is even more difficult given that he frequently changes his positions on issues, sometimes multiple times.

The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Perhaps Trump’s biggest achievement is something he rarely talks about on the campaign trail. His administration’s “Operation Warp Speed” managed to create, test, and bring to market a COVID-19 vaccine in less than a year, far faster than even the most optimistic predictions.

Many of Trump’s supporters, though, don’t support — and some even vehemently oppose — COVID vaccines.

Here is a recap of Trump’s health care record:

Public Health

Trump’s pandemic response dominates his overall record on health care.

More than 400,000 Americans died from COVID over Trump’s last year in office. His travel bans and other efforts to prevent the global spread of the virus were ineffective, his administration was slower than other countries’ governments to develop a diagnostic test, and he publicly clashed with his own government’s health officials over the response.

Ahead of the 2020 election, Trump resumed large rallies and other public campaign events that many public health experts regarded as reckless in the face of a highly contagious, deadly virus. He personally flouted public health guidance after contracting COVID himself and ending up hospitalized.

At the same time, despite what many saw as a politicization of public health by the White House, Trump signed a massive COVID relief bill (after first threatening to veto it). He also presided over some of the largest boosts for the National Institutes of Health’s budget since the turn of the century. And the mRNA-based vaccines Operation Warp Speed helped develop were an astounding scientific breakthrough credited with helping save millions of lives while laying the groundwork for future shots to fight other diseases including cancer.

Abortion

Trump’s biggest contribution to abortion policy was indirect: He appointed three Supreme Court justices, who were instrumental in overturning the constitutional right to an abortion.

During his 2024 campaign, Trump has been all over the place on the red-hot issue. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Trump has bemoaned the issue as politically bad for Republicans; criticized one of his rivals, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, for signing a six-week abortion ban; and vowed to broker a compromise with “both sides” on abortion, promising that “for the first time in 52 years, you’ll have an issue that we can put behind us.”

He has so far avoided spelling out how he’d do that, or whether he’d support a national abortion ban after any number of weeks.

More recently, however, Trump appears to have mended fences over his criticism of Florida’s six-week ban and more with key abortion opponents, whose support helped him get elected in 2016 — and whom he repaid with a long list of policy changes during his presidency.

Among the anti-abortion actions taken by the Trump administration were a reinstatement of the “Mexico City Policy” that bars giving federal funds to international organizations that support abortion rights; a regulation to bar Planned Parenthood and other organizations that provide abortions from the federal family planning program, Title X; regulatory changes designed to make it easier for health care providers and employers to decline to participate in activities that violate their religious and moral beliefs; and other changes that made it harder for NIH scientists to conduct research using fetal tissue from elective abortions.

All of those policies have since been overturned by the Biden administration.

Health Insurance

Unlike Trump’s policies on reproductive health, many of his administration’s moves related to health insurance still stand.

For example, in 2020, Trump signed into law the No Surprises Act, a bipartisan measure aimed at protecting patients from unexpected medical bills stemming from payment disputes between health care providers and insurers. The bill was included in the $900 billion COVID relief package he opposed before signing, though Trump had expressed support for ending surprise medical bills.

His administration also pushed — over the vehement objections of health industry officials — price transparency regulations that require hospitals to post prices and insurers to provide estimated costs for procedures. Those requirements also remain in place, although hospitals in particular have been slow to comply.

Medicaid

While first-time candidate Trump vowed not to cut popular entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, his administration did not stick to that promise. The Affordable Care Act repeal legislation Trump supported in 2017 would have imposed major cuts to Medicaid, and his Department of Health and Human Services later encouraged states to require Medicaid recipients to prove they work in order to receive health insurance.

Drug Prices

One of the issues the Trump administration was most active on was reducing the price of prescription drugs for consumers — a top priority for both Democratic and Republican voters. But many of those proposals were blocked by the courts.

One Trump-era plan that never took effect would have pegged the price of some expensive drugs covered by Medicare to prices in other countries. Another would have required drug companies to include prices in their television advertisements.

A regulation allowing states to import cheaper drugs from Canada did take effect, in November 2020. However, it took until January 2024 for the FDA, under Trump’s successor, to approve the first importation plan, from Florida. Canada has said it won’t allow exports that risk causing drug shortages in that country, leaving unclear whether the policy is workable.

Trump also signed into law measures allowing pharmacists to disclose to patients when the cash price of a drug is lower than the cost using their insurance. Previously pharmacists could be barred from doing so under their contracts with insurers and pharmacy benefit managers.

Veterans’ Health

Trump is credited by some advocates for overhauling Department of Veterans Affairs health care. However, while he did sign a major bill allowing veterans to obtain care outside VA facilities, White House officials also tried to scuttle passage of the spending needed to pay for the initiative.

Medical Freedom

Trump scored a big win for the libertarian wing of the Republican Party when he signed into law the “Right to Try Act,” intended to make it easier for patients with terminal diseases to access drugs or treatments not yet approved by the FDA.

But it is not clear how many patients have managed to obtain treatment using the law because it is aimed at the FDA, which has traditionally granted requests for “compassionate use” of not-yet-approved drugs anyway. The stumbling block, which the law does not address, is getting drug companies to release doses of medicines that are still being tested and may be in short supply.

Trump said in a Jan. 10 Fox News town hall that the law had “saved thousands and thousands” of lives. There’s no evidence for the claim.

(KFF Health News, formerly known as Kaiser Health News (KHN), is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.)

©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

COLUMBUS— Bernie Moreno, a Trump-backed candidate for Ohio’s crucial U.S. Senate seat who touts his success in business, faced multiple lawsuits alleging discrimination against employees in the run-up to the sale of his high-end Cleveland car dealership, an Associated Press review has found.

Three discrimination suits were filed in Cuyahoga County between 2015 and 2017. Two accused Moreno and Bernie Moreno Cos. of gender and age discrimination, respectively. The third, in which Moreno was not named, alleged race discrimination against a dealership run by a BMC subsidiary.

A campaign spokesman said that the two employees who sued Moreno directly now support his Republican U.S. Senate campaign and that Moreno, who was born in Bogotá, Colombia, prided himself on giving equal opportunities to all his workers.

Moreno’s performance in business was cited by former President Donald Trump as he endorsed Moreno in the three-way primary with Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan last month.

“Bernie Moreno, a highly respected businessman from the GREAT State of Ohio, is exactly the type of MAGA fighter that we need in the United States Senate,” Trump said, using the acronym of his “Make America Great Again” slogan.

The discrimination claims come to light as Republican support has begun to coalesce behind Moreno since Trump’s endorsement, with recent endorsements by U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan and former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. The winner of the GOP primary March 19 will face third-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, among Democrats’ most vulnerable incumbents this year in the narrowly divided Senate.

Brown characterizes his fight for “the dignity of work” as a key policy and campaign priority, while Moreno has said he is running for the Senate to support policies “good for American workers and families.”

All three lawsuits identified by the AP were settled out of court, and terms of any resulting settlement deals were kept private. Often, such deals include a clause preventing either side from disparaging the other.

The first lawsuit, filed in 2015, accused BMC and Moreno of gender discrimination.

Female former dealership supervisor Cara Wilson, then of Streetsboro, in Portage County, alleged Moreno repeatedly belittled her about being a mother, sometimes in front of her peers.

She told the court Moreno called her “a bad leader but a better mother” and once, when she approached him about her flex time arrangement, he said, “Lots of people are single parents, put your kids in f—-ing daycare.”

The lawsuit alleged Wilson was stripped of her flex time schedule, was blamed for her dealership’s poor performance despite being deprived of the leeway given to male counterparts to make key decisions and was wrongfully fired.

Reached by phone, Wilson said she and Moreno “are great friends now” — as evidenced by the fact she hosted a fundraiser for his campaign last fall — and declined to comment further.

In a 2017 lawsuit, a Black former service manager at an Akron Infiniti dealership operated by BMC subsidiary M9 Motors, alleged that he was targeted for discipline and then demoted after taking concerns to human resources about white peers and a subordinate being paid the same or more than him.

Ronell Thompson claimed racial discrimination led to his demotion and eventual wrongful termination. Reached by phone, he referred a reporter to his lawyer, Peter Mabley, who confirmed in a statement that his Cleveland-area law firm represented Thompson and that the matter “has been resolved” — which suggests Thompson is limited by a settlement agreement from discussing details.

In the third lawsuit, filed against BMC and Moreno the same year, an award-winning, top-performing saleswoman who was 67 alleged gender and age discrimination. Dolores Wolfe, then of Rocky River, a Cleveland suburb, claimed that she was repeatedly passed over for promotions in favor of white males, some in their 20s.

She told the court she was preparing to take a new job in New York when Moreno flew in to meet with her and persuaded her not to resign by offering a promotion complete with increased salary, benefits and bonuses. She said she passed up the out-of-state position and stayed, only to have the promotion never materialize. She told the court her treatment caused her economic and emotional distress and physical sickness.

In an interview, Wolfe said that her lawsuit “had to do with business issues” and that Moreno is a tremendous businessman who would make a great U.S. senator.

“Every female who worked for him, and every age group who worked for him, were generously treated,” she said.

Moreno campaign spokesman Conor McGuinness said in a statement that Moreno knows Wolfe and Wilson personally and “they have all moved past any previous misunderstandings.”

He said Moreno is “a proud minority businessman” who based his company “on the colorblind principles of merit and hard-work.”

“As someone who has previously experienced discrimination himself, Bernie has always been committed to giving opportunities to all of his workers, regardless of race, color, gender or creed,” his statement said.

Robert Foehl, a professor of business law and ethics at Ohio University, said multiple lawsuits against a company “doesn’t necessarily mean there’s something systemically wrong.”

“The devil’s in the details,” he said.

Foehl said it’s not unreasonable to expect a company of BMC’s size to have a robust anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation training program for its managers.

“It’s really incumbent on the employer in these traditionally male-dominated industries to be sure that they’re working within the bounds of employment law, ensuring that they’re providing those opportunities to, not just the men in the work setting, but also women in the work setting, and ensuring equal opportunity for all those based on their protected characteristics,” he said.

In response to the AP’s reporting, the Moreno campaign produced an open letter signed by 23 former female employees vouching that he treated them fairly and respectfully.

A BMC subsidiary, M10 Motors, also faced a lawsuit in Florida unrelated to discrimination. The civil rights class action brought by Andres Gomez, who is blind, alleged a Coral Gables Infiniti dealership’s website was inaccessible to the visually impaired, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. A settlement agreement was reached in the case in 2020.

COLUMBUS — Several transgender candidates for state office in Ohio are facing challenges and even outright disqualification for omitting their former names from petition paperwork under a little-known state elections law, confronting a unique dilemma as they vie for office in the face of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

Three of the four candidates for Democratic seats in the Republican-dominated Ohio House and Senate have either been challenged or disqualified for not putting their former name — also called a deadname — on circulating petitions to get on the ballot. State law mandates that candidates list any name changes in the last five years, though it isn’t in the Secretary of State’s 33-page candidate requirement guide.

Additionally, the petition paperwork does not have a place to list any former names and exempts name changes due to marriage.

Arienne Childrey, a previously certified candidate from Auglaize County hoping to run against Rep. Angie King, a Republican sponsoring anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, has her own disqualification hearing Thursday.

But just Tuesday, Bobbie Arnold, a contractor from West Alexandria who had been certified, had her possible disqualification dismissed by the Montgomery County Board of Elections. A message was left with the board’s director, Jeff Rezabeck, seeking comment Tuesday.

Michigan has a similar elections law, which mandates candidates list any name changes in the past decade. It’s unclear if other states have one. The Associated Press reached out to several election experts and organizations tracking election laws, and none were aware of how many states require candidates to disclose name changes.

The Ohio law has existed in some form for decades, with the current version in place since the 1990s. It’s rarely been enforced in Ohio over the decades, usually in response to candidates wishing to use a nickname on the ballot.

The latest case involving a legal name change was resolved in 2023 by the Ohio Supreme Court, after a mayoral candidate sued the Washington County Board of Elections for disqualifying him for failing to disclose his former name on his petition paperwork. The state’s highest court ruled for the board.

Vanessa Joy, a real estate photographer from Stark County, was the first of the candidates to be disqualified for omitting her deadname, despite being certified. She appealed the disqualification but was denied.

The Stark County Board of Elections did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday as their media official was not in the office.

Joy said in a recent email release that she is working with legal counsel and the Ohio Democratic Party to change the law. While she agrees with the spirit of the law, she said it’s become yet another barrier for transgender people fighting to be heard.

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine told Cleveland.com’s editorial board Tuesday that the boards of elections should stop disqualifying transgender candidates for omitting their deadnames and that some sort of change is in order to ensure their ballot access.

Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose told AP last week that his office is not open to changing the law but is looking into mentioning it in the candidate guide.

He said it’s important for people to disclose who they are and any former identities, so the voters know who is asking to be put on the ballot.

“Candidates for public office don’t get anonymity,” LaRose said, also noting that the guide carries a disclaimer that it does not list every rule and that candidates should seek counsel on any additional rules that could impact them.

But to the transgender community, revealing a deadname — or the name assigned to them at birth that doesn’t align with their gender identity — could lead to personal safety issues.

Zooey Zephyr, a transgender Montana lawmaker who was silenced by the state House, had her name change records legally sealed before holding office. However, she said that didn’t stop people from trying to dig up her birth certificate and harass and threaten people connected to her deadname.

Zephyr said she also finds LaRose’s argument about candidates not getting anonymity “hollow” since the statute exempts name changes due to marriage.

“For the Secretary of State to say public figures don’t get anonymity while allowing that for women who are getting married fails to recognize the seriousness of the issue for trans people,” she said.

Ari Faber, who is running for the state Senate from Athens, Ohio, is the only one of the four not impacted by the law. He has not legally changed his name and was not allowed to run under his current name, so his paperwork contains his deadname.

Joy, Arnold and Childrey all were adamant that if they had known about the law, they would have disclosed their deadname. Running to represent the LGBTQ+ community is important to them, especially as bans on gender-affirming care and barring transgender athletes from female sports are likely to become law in Ohio.

“If I am kicked off the ballot, then I have every intention to refile for the very next election and I will do whatever they want,” Childrey said. “I will put my current name, my dead name, at what age I was potty trained. I don’t care what they want on the form. I will continue to fight this battle.”

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Samantha Hendrickson is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

The Ohio Association of Election Officials represents and advocates for election professionals throughout Ohio.

Founded in 1949, the Ohio Association of Election Officials is entering its 75th year.

Adams, a Democrat, follows two other Lorain County election officials who previously served as presidents of the Ohio Association of Election Officials: Republicans Robert Wilson, who was elected in 1989; and Marilyn Jacobcik, who was elected in 2009.

“I am honored to have been selected by my fellow election officials to serve as president in such an important election year and look forward to working together with our bipartisan leadership team,” Adams said in the release. “(The year) 2024 will be a busy year for election officials throughout Ohio.

“I plan to focus on helping prepare election officials for the upcoming challenges of this year’s elections as well as help educate voters on the voting process. In particular, I am hoping to help spread information on new voting rules, such as the new photo ID requirement that was implemented last year, but is still new to many voters.”

Adams will continue to serve as the director of the Lorain County Board of Elections, a position he has held for the past 14 years.

He previously served on the national executive committee for the Election Infrastructure Information Analysis Center from 2019 to 2021, and in the Elections Division of the Ohio Secretary of State from 2009-2010.

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s iron grip on the Republican Party has been clear since the day he announced he would make another run for the White House 14 months ago. It can be seen in the party’s ideological shift even further to the right on cultural issues and, especially, on immigration policy.

Iowa Republicans were a clear reflection of that on Monday night, delivering the former president an emphatic victory. They channeled his anger, and his view that basically everything President Joe Biden has done has been a “disaster.” About 9 in 10 voters said they want upheaval or substantial change in how the government operates, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 1,500 voters who said they planned to take part in the caucuses.

As clear-cut as his win was, though, Iowa has not historically played the role of kingmaker in the Republican nominating process. New Hampshire’s voters don’t take their cues from Iowa.

Here are some key takeaways:

This was the least suspenseful Iowa caucus in modern memory because Trump has essentially been running as an incumbent president. He’s convinced many Republicans he didn’t really lose the 2020 election to Biden, repeatedly making false claims, and has dominated the race the way someone still in office does.

He traveled sparingly to the state, holding a modest number of rallies. He spurned candidate debates. He chose to appear at court hearings as a defendant in his legal cases in New York and Washington rather than speak to Iowa voters in the final days before the voting.

The former president, who remains the party’s dominant favorite, clearly wants to move on to the general election as quickly as possible. But Iowa winnows the field more than it determines the winner.

Inevitable can be a dangerous word, especially in New Hampshire, which holds its primary in eight days.

New Hampshire has famously delivered upsets in both parties. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley quipped that New Hampshire “corrects” Iowa. Bush felt New Hampshire’s sting in 2000 when Senator John McCain defeated him. So did former vice president Walter Mondale when Senator Gary Hart of Colorado scored an upset in the Democratic race in 1984.

With its more moderate, educated electorate, New Hampshire presents Trump’s rivals with possibly their best opportunity to slow his march. Haley is hoping for a win there or at least a very strong showing, as is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who edged Haley out for second place in Iowa but trailed Trump by about 30 points.

After that comes a weird political lull — with the next major competitive race in South Carolina on Feb. 24.

But plenty can happen during that time. The U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 8 is scheduled to hear arguments in a case challenging whether a constitutional clause banning those who “engaged in insurrection” from holding office applies to Trump. The high court may also weigh in on whether presidential immunity protects Trump from federal charges for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss.

The criminal trial, in that case, is scheduled to start on March 5 — Super Tuesday — when 14 states vote in the presidential nominating process. Trump’s strength among Republican voters is beyond dispute, but the road is long and could be bumpy.

Iowans had something on their minds, but it wasn’t jobs, taxes or business regulations.

About 4 in 10 caucus-goers said immigration was their top issue, compared to 1 in 3 picking the economy, according to VoteCast. Other priorities like foreign policy, energy and abortion ranked even lower.

Indeed, about two-thirds of caucusgoers said they felt their finances were holding steady or improving. But the voters still want major changes — 3 in 10 want a total upheaval of how the federal government runs while another 6 in 10 want substantial changes. Additionally, Trump faces multiple criminal charges, 6 in 10 caucusgoers don’t have confidence in the U.S. legal system.

It adds up to a portrait of a slice of the electorate eager to challenge core democratic institutions in the U.S.

Flush with more than $100 million in cash and fresh off a blowout reelection victory, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis entered the 2024 Republican presidential contest projecting himself as the heir to a MAGA political brand that a diminished Trump could no longer effectively carry.

Reality soon intruded.

Eight months and tens of millions of dollars later, DeSantis posed little threat to the former president in Iowa. Still, he vowed to continue his campaign and said he had “punched his ticket” out of Iowa with his second-place finish.

Despite more than $55 million in pro-DeSantis advertising spending, the Florida governor only narrowly bested Haley.

DeSantis has been dogged by negative stories about profligate spending, including DeSantis’ preference for flying private planes.

His next challenge will be whether donors will continue to support him.

More than half of Haley’s voters had at least a college degree and roughly half of DeSantis’ did, according to VoteCast. But only about 2 in 10 of Trump’s did.

Education has been a major dividing line among white voters during the Trump era. Iowa confirms what polling has indicated during the primary — that the education divide is also splitting the GOP.

That hints at a possible weakness for Trump in November, should he be the nominee. A greater share of the voting public has at least a bachelor’s degree now than in 2016, and that share rises every year as degrees become more popular.

Another indication of vulnerability for Trump came in the suburbs, which tend to have the highest levels of education. Only about 4 in 10 caucusgoers there supported him. The suburbs were pivotal in Biden’s 2020 victory over Trump.

Abrasive, often grating and very online — Vivek Ramaswamy’s quixotic bid for the White House has come across as a millennial distillation of Trump’s Make America Great Again political movement.

Ramaswamy rapped along to verses of Eminem, delighted in trolling his rivals and often sought to out-Trump Trump with his brash rhetoric. That performative aspect helped the wealthy 38-year-old entrepreneur gain considerable attention in the early days of the Republican White House contest.

But it also proved to wear thin, perhaps summed up best when former New Jersey governor Chris Christie called him the “most obnoxious blowhard in America” during a debate.

As returns from Iowa’s caucus posted, Ramaswamy seemed unlikely to reach double digits, and he suspended his campaign.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former President Donald Trump scored a record-setting win in the Iowa caucuses on Monday with his rivals languishing far behind, a victory that sent a resounding message that the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination is his to lose.

Trump was on track to set a record for a contested Iowa Republican caucus with a margin of victory exceeding the nearly 13 percentage points that Bob Dole won by in 1988. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis finished a distant second ahead of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

In what was expected to be a low-turnout affair, caucusgoers endured life-threatening cold and dangerous driving conditions to meet in hundreds of schools, churches and community centers across the state.

Haley plans to compete vigorously in New Hampshire, where she hopes to be more successful with the state’s independent voters heading into the Jan. 23 primary. DeSantis, meanwhile, is heading straight to South Carolina, a conservative stronghold where the Feb. 24 contest could prove pivotal. Conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy announced that he was suspending his campaign.

Trump, who has repeatedly vowed vengeance against his political opponents in recent months, offered a message of unity in a victory speech Monday night.

“We want to come together, whether it’s Republican or Democrat or liberal or conservative,” Trump said. “We’re going to come together. It’s going to happen soon.”

Trump has spent much of the past year building a far more professional organization in Iowa than the relatively haphazard effort he oversaw in 2016, when Texas Sen. Ted Cruz carried the caucuses. His team paid special attention to building a sophisticated digital and data operation to regularly engage with potential supporters and ensure they knew how to participate in the caucuses.

Iowa has been an uneven predictor of who will ultimately lead Republicans into the general election. George W. Bush’s 2000 victory was the last time a Republican candidate won in Iowa and went on to become the party’s standard-bearer.

But Trump was already looking ahead to a potential general election matchup against President Joe Biden as he addressed hundreds of cheering supporters at a caucus site at the Horizon Events Center in Clive, Iowa.

“He is totally destroying our country,” Trump said of Biden. “We were a great nation three years ago and today people are laughing at us.”

Biden’s team, meanwhile, announced that he and the Democratic National Committee raised more than $97 million in the last quarter of 2023 and finished the year with $117 million in the bank, an effort to demonstrate how Biden is preparing for the possible rematch while Trump is still competing in the primary.

The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 7:31 p.m. CST based on an analysis of early returns as well as results of AP VoteCast, a survey of voters who planned to caucus on Monday night. Both showed Trump with an insurmountable lead.

Initial results from eight counties showed Trump with far more than half of the total votes counted as of 7:31 p.m., with the rest of the field trailing far behind. These counties include rural areas that are demographically and politically similar to a large number of counties that have yet to report.

The Associated Press determined at 11:17 p.m. CST that DeSantis will finish a distant second to Trump. With an estimated 10% of ballots remaining to be counted, DeSantis leads Haley by approximately 2,300 votes, or about 2 percentage points. With votes reported in all but one of Iowa’s 99 counties, Haley isn’t doing well enough anywhere to catch DeSantis, based on the number of outstanding votes.

DeSantis and Haley are competing to emerge as the top alternative to the former president. Haley hopes to compete vigorously in New Hampshire, where she hopes to be more successful with the state’s independent voters heading into the Jan. 23 primary. DeSantis is heading to New Hampshire on Tuesday after a stop in South Carolina, a conservative stronghold where the Feb. 24 contest could prove pivotal.

Before she left, Haley offered a subtle jab at Trump while addressing voters at a same caucus site.

“If you want to move forward with no more vendettas, if you want to move forward with a sense of hope, join us in this caucus,” she said. “I ask for your vote. And I promise you I will make sure every day I focus on what it takes to make you proud.”

Several hundred people rose to their feet in applause.

Trump, meanwhile, was expected to fly to New York Monday night so he could be in court Tuesday. A jury is poised to consider whether he should pay additional damages to a columnist who last year won a $5 million jury award against Trump for sex abuse and defamation.

He will then fly to New Hampshire, the next state in the Republican primary calendar, to hold a rally Tuesday evening.

Trump has made courtroom visits a part of his campaign — heading to court voluntarily twice last week while his opponents campaigned in Iowa — in a strategy that so far is working.

Trump showed significant strength among Iowa’s urban, small-town and rural communities, according to AP VoteCast. He also performed well with evangelical Christians and those without a college degree. And a majority of caucusgoers said that they identify with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.

One relative weakness for Trump comes in the suburbs, where only about 4 in 10 supported him.

AP VoteCast is a survey of more than 1,500 voters who said they planned to take part in the caucuses. The survey is conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson were also on the ballot in Iowa, as was former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who suspended his campaign last week.

Trump’s success tells a remarkable story of a Republican Party unwilling or unable to move on from a flawed front-runner. He lost to Biden in 2020 after fueling near-constant chaos while in the White House, culminating with his supporters carrying out a deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol. In total, he faces 91 felony charges across four criminal cases.

The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether states have the ability to block Trump from the ballot for his role in sparking the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. And he’s facing criminal trials in Washington and Atlanta for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump has increasingly echoed authoritarian leaders and framed his campaign as one of retribution. He has spoken openly about using the power of government to pursue his political enemies. He has repeatedly harnessed rhetoric once used by Adolf Hitler to argue that immigrants entering the U.S. illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country.” And he recently shared a word cloud last week to his social media account highlighting “revenge,” “power” and “dictatorship.”

Trump’s legal challenges appear to have done little damage to his reputation. Many of his supporters view the charges through a political lens.

About three-quarters of Iowans responding to AP VoteCast said the charges against Trump are political attempts to undermine him, rather than legitimate attempts to investigate important issues.

Meanwhile, Iowa caucus participants were forced to brave the coldest temperatures in caucus history as forecasters warned that “dangerously cold wind chills” as low as 45 degrees below zero Fahrenheit were possible through noon Tuesday. The conditions, according to the National Weather Service, could lead to “frostbite and hypothermia in a matter of minutes if not properly dressed for the conditions.”

His victory party Monday night was dotted with people wearing white “Trump Caucus Captain” hats like the one the former president donned at a rally on Sunday. Captains were responsible for turning out at least 10 caucusgoers for Trump.

“God called us to do that to support Trump,” said 64-year-old David Lage, donning a captain’s hat at the party.

Peoples reported from Washington. Beaumont reported from Indianola, Iowa, and Fingerhut reported from Fort Dodge, Iowa. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in Des Moines, Iowa, Adriana Gomez Licon in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Trump’s victory on Monday night gives him a strong start in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination as the contest moves to New Hampshire. And DeSantis’ runner-up finish over former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley gives him a badly needed dose of momentum.

What to know

• What to watch as voters weigh in on the first 2024 GOP contest
• When will results be known? Here’s what to expect in the Iowa caucuses
• Trump’s grip on the GOP is put to the test in Iowa
• Who’s running for president? Here are the 2024 candidates
• Feeling caucus confusion? Your guide to how Iowa works

‘We got our ticket punched out of Iowa,’ DeSantis says

WEST DES MOINES — The Florida governor sounded a triumphant tone Monday night after edging Haley in the GOP contest for second place in Iowa.

Supporters and volunteers chanted, “Ron, Ron, Ron!” as he thanked them for their work. DeSantis said he was aggressively attacked ahead of the caucus. “They threw everything but the kitchen sink at us,” he said.

“Because of your support in spite of all of what they threw at us,” said DeSantis, who staked the success of his campaign on the Hawkeye State. “We got our ticket punched out of Iowa.”

DeSantis is heading next to South Carolina, which is holding its GOP primary on Feb. 24, and then to New Hampshire, which votes on Jan. 23.

DeSantis said he represents the chance to “reverse the madness” but acknowledged the challenges ahead.

“We have a lot of work to do. As the next president of the United States, I am going to get the job done for this country,” he said.

Haley says her third-place finish in Iowa shows momentum

Haley didn’t get the second-place finish she was hoping for, but she told Iowa caucusgoers that her standing shows her campaign has momentum.

The former U.N. ambassador noted that she went from low single-digit support when she entered the race to placing third in Iowa. She told a packed ballroom at her caucus night headquarters that Iowans had given her the sort of results that would enable her to run a campaign that would make them proud.

“When you look at how well we’re doing in New Hampshire, in South Carolina and beyond, I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race,” Haley said.

Haley heads Monday night to New Hampshire, which holds the country’s first-in-the-nation GOP primary on Jan. 23.

DeSantis takes second place in Iowa’s caucuses

DES MOINES — The Associated Press has determined that DeSantis will finish in a distant second in the Iowa caucuses, ahead of Haley and behind Trump.

With an estimated 10% of ballots remaining to be counted, DeSantis leads Haley by approximately 2,300 votes, or about 2 percentage points.

With votes reported in all but one of Iowa’s 99 counties, Haley isn’t doing well enough anywhere to catch DeSantis, based on the number of outstanding votes.

Trump celebrates caucus victory with family and supporters

DES MOINES — Trump is celebrating his Iowa win.

The former president was flanked on stage by members of his family and senior campaign staff, as well as members of Congress and other supporters who traveled to Iowa to campaign by his side.

He began his remarks with a conciliatory tone, saying it’s time for the country to come together.

Trump offered a shout-out to DeSantis and Haley, whom he has skewered on the trail.

“I want to congratulate Ron and Nikki for having a good time together,” he quipped.

Haley loses lead in Iowa county she needs to perform well in

If Haley is going to finish in second place ahead of DeSantis, she will need to run up her margins against him in an Iowa county that she has just lost her lead in.

With around 96% of the expected vote in Story County reported, Haley trails Trump by 134 votes and leads DeSantis by just over 100 votes.

North of Des Moines, Story County is a relatively Democratic-leaning area. It includes Ames, home to Iowa State University, and has trended toward more moderate Republican candidates in past caucuses. Eight years ago, it was one of five counties that Sen. Marco Rubio won. This is the type of county that Haley, who has courted more moderate voters, needed to perform well in if she is to overtake DeSantis.

Haley was leading in Story for much of the night, but that was largely a function of Story reporting its votes relatively more slowly than neighboring counties. This is not unusual: In Iowa, larger, more populated precincts take longer to count — and therefore report — their votes. Smaller precincts, which are also likelier to vote for more conservative candidates, can count faster and report earlier. With just 221 votes reported in the first two hours of caucusing, Haley led until a little after 10:30 p.m. ET.

Trump, DeSantis and Haley are awarded their first delegates of 2024

DES MOINES — The Associated Press has allocated 16 of Iowa’s 40 delegates to Trump and four delegates each to Haley and DeSantis. These two dozen delegates represent 60% of the state’s total. Delegates will cast their votes at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this summer.

The way delegates are awarded differs by state, and in Iowa, the delegates are awarded proportionally based on the statewide vote. There are no minimum thresholds candidates need to reach in order to win delegates in Iowa. As of 10:05 p.m. Eastern time, with nearly 40% of the expected vote counted, Trump is receiving a majority of the vote. Based on the AP’s analysis of the initial vote and its AP VoteCast survey, Trump will win at least 40% of the vote in Iowa, and DeSantis and Haley will each win at least 10%.

The AP will allocate the state’s remaining delegates as more of the vote is counted.

Party switcher for Haley

DES MOINES — Carol Hendrick is a lifelong Iowa Democrat, but she registered as a Republican on Monday night so she could caucus for Haley.

Hendrick said just before the GOP hopeful spoke at her caucus site in Des Moines that she would do “anything I could do” to keep Trump from becoming president again.

“Her doing well makes Trump look worse,” Hendrick said. “I do wish her well. She’s an accomplished person.”

Hendrick said she would back Democrat Joe Biden in the general election, even if Haley won the Republican nomination.

Iowa caucuses reveal some vulnerabilities for Trump

Despite Trump’s commanding win in Iowa, the contest exposed some national vulnerabilities for the former president.

The suburbs are a relative weakness for Trump: Only about 4 in 10 of Iowa Republicans in the suburbs support him. Trump still bests his closest rivals in the suburbs, but not as strongly as he does in other areas, according to AP VoteCast, a survey conducted by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research of more than 1,500 voters who said they planned to take part in Monday’s Republican caucuses in Iowa.

Nor does Trump have as much appeal with college graduates. Just 2 in 10 of Trump’s Iowa backers hold a college degree, compared to roughly half of those who backed Haley and DeSantis.

And there are Trump’s legal troubles. About one-quarter of GOP caucusgoers say Trump has done something illegal when it comes to at least one of the legal cases he is facing: his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, his alleged attempts to interfere in the vote count in the 2020 presidential election or the discovery of classified documents at his Florida home that were supposed to be in government custody.

A silent victory party

Typically, attendees at political victory parties assemble early to watch the results come in and erupt in cheers when their candidate wins.

But the call declaring Trump the winner of Iowa’s caucuses came so early that the former president wasn’t on site yet and his invited guests hadn’t yet arrived. So round cocktail tables draped with black tablecloths stood empty and bottles of wine and beer sat on ice awaiting the start of the party.

Trump is expected to speak later Monday night at the Iowa Events Center venue, flanked by many American flags.

First-time caucusgoer votes for DeSantis, citing economic concerns

WAUKEE — Spencer Cook, a 24-year-old commodity trader, attended his first caucus on Monday night and voted for DeSantis.

Cook said he was motivated above all else by boosting the economy, which he said is “a little bit stagnant right now.” He said his salary doesn’t go as far as it did when he started his first job a year and a half ago.

“Buying a house for someone my age is really tough,” Cook said at his caucus site in Waukee. “Interest rates are high. Housing prices are really high.”

Haley appeals to voters who want to ‘move forward with no more vendettas’

CLIVE — Haley has added a forward-looking wind-up to her standard campaign speech that seemed to graze Trump.

“If you want to move forward with no more vendettas, if you want to move forward with a sense of hope, join us in this caucus,” she said. “I ask for your vote. And I promise you I will make sure every day I focus on what it takes to make you proud.”

Several hundred people at the Horizon Events Center rose to their feet in applause.

Race for second place is between Haley and DeSantis

DES MOINES — Haley and DeSantis are vying for second place in Iowa’s leadoff Republican caucuses.

The contest for runner-up narrowed to the former U.N. ambassador and the Florida governor on Monday night after Trump was declared the winner of the first-in-the-nation GOP voting contest.

Vivek Ramaswamy and Asa Hutchinson are among the other candidates competing for votes.

Trump addresses caucus site shortly before AP calls Iowa for him

CLIVE — Shortly before the AP called Trump the winner in Iowa, the former president spoke at a caucus site in Des Moines.

Trump was greeted with loud cheers and applause as he addressed the crowd.

“I would appreciate your vote. I think I deserve it,” he said, making the case that things were much better when he was in charge. “We were a great nation three years ago and today people are laughing at us,” he said.

Trump was proceeded on stage by Asa Hutchinson and followed by Vivek Ramaswamy.

How the AP called Trump the winner of Iowa’s caucuses

The Associated Press declared Trump the winner of the Iowa caucuses based on an analysis of early returns as well as results of AP VoteCast, a survey of voters who planned to caucus on Monday night. Both showed Trump with an insurmountable lead.

Initial results from eight counties showed Trump with far more than half of the total votes counted as of 8:31 pm. ET, with the rest of the field trailing far behind. These counties include rural areas that are demographically and politically similar to a large number of counties that have yet to report.

AP VoteCast also shows Trump with sizable leads among both men and women, as well as every age group and geographic regions throughout the state.

AP VoteCast is a survey conducted by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research of more than 1,500 voters who said they planned to take part in Monday’s Republican caucuses in Iowa.

Among voters who identify as born-again Christians, the survey found that Trump was favored by 58% voters intending to caucus, compared to 18% for DeSantis and 13% for Nikki Haley. Polls showed that was a relatively weak group of backers for Trump in Iowa in 2016.

So far, Trump is significantly outperforming his second-place 2016 caucus finish, when he received 24% of the vote, compared to 28% for Ted Cruz.

Trump wins Iowa’s first-in-the-nation GOP caucuses

Trump has won Iowa’s leadoff presidential caucuses, giving him a strong start in the race for the 2024 Republican nomination.

His rivals are jostling for second place, hoping for a bump heading into New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary on Jan. 23.

Trump and Hutchinson woo voters at the same caucus site

CLIVE — There are hundreds of caucus sites in Iowa. But Trump, the presumed front-runner, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is barely registering in the polls, both ended up at the same caucus site.

“We’re trusting you, Iowa, to get it right,” Hutchinson said, addressing several hundred voters at the Horizon Events Center in Clive.

Trump was holding backstage as Hutchinson spoke.

Ramaswamy is hustling for support at a caucus site

CLIVE — Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is working until the last minute to round up votes.

He stopped by a caucus site in suburban Des Moines, telling voters, “I’d love to earn your support tonight.”

He fielded questions and compliments from a steady stream of voters lining up to speak with him or snap a selfie.

“I’m Jamie, and I just want to say congrats on a wonderfully run campaign,” one voter told him.

To another voter who sounded a little skeptical of him, Ramaswamy said, “We need someone with fresh legs” and said he’d fire most of the federal workforce.

“My parents came to this country the right way, too,” he told one person. “That’s what makes this country great.”

How Iowa Republican caucusgoers see Haley and DeSantis

DES MOINES — Among Iowa Republicans, Haley is something of an anti-Trump option, even though she was his U.N. ambassador.

She is the top candidate of GOP caucusgoers who say Trump did something illegal when it comes to at least one of the criminal cases against him, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 1,500 voters who said they planned to take part in Monday’s Republican caucuses in Iowa.

Among those who say they are caucusing for Haley, about 4 in 10 voted for Democrat Joe Biden over Trump in 2020.

Meanwhile, DeSantis performs best among the caucusgoers who are dissatisfied with Trump but say they would ultimately vote for him in the general election, according to AP VoteCast. DeSantis’ supporters are more likely than those for other candidates to say they think abortion should always be illegal.

He performs better than Haley does among those who describe themselves as conservative.

Most Iowa GOP caucusgoers back Trump’s MAGA movement

The majority of Iowa Republican caucusgoers believe in the need to “Make America Great Again,” a sign of how Trump and his political movement have transformed a state party that denied him a victory eight years ago.

That’s according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 1,500 voters who said they planned to take part in Monday’s Republican caucuses in Iowa. The survey was conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

The findings suggest that Trump is in a strong position as the caucuses began. He shows significant strength among urban, small town and rural communities. Trump also performs well with evangelical Christians and those without a college degree. One relative weakness for Trump comes in the suburbs, where only about 4 in 10 support him.

Coldest Iowa caucuses on record are now underway

DES MOINES — Iowa Republicans have gathered at caucus meetings across the state to pick their next GOP presidential nominee.

The coldest first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses on record kicked off Monday night at minus-3 degrees Fahrenheit in the capital city, with the wind chill making it feel like minus-20, according to the National Weather Service.

In the 2016 GOP caucuses, the AP first reported results at 8:32 p.m. ET, or 32 minutes after the caucuses convened. The caucus night tabulation ended at 12:50 a.m. ET with 99.9% of total votes counted.

Meatball Ron? Day One Dic-Tater? Iowa restaurant gets in on caucus fun

Zombie Burger in Des Moines rolled out a special menu in time for Iowa’s first-in-the-nation voting contest.

The quirky restaurant posted on its Instagram page that customers can “celebrate the circus with these featured shakes + ONE-DAY-ONLY burgers at Zombie Burger!”

The special on Jan. 12 was Mom-Aswamy’s Spaghetti burger, a smashed vegetarian meatball patty, fried spaghetti and marinara croquette with mozzarella in honor of Vivek Ramaswamy.

On Jan. 13, diners could nosh on Meatball Ron, a double smashed meatball patty with mozzarella, fried banana peppers, marinara and a “hidden” garlic bread lift — inspired by DeSantis.

The meal of the day for Jan. 14 was American History 101, featuring a double pimento cheese patty, pulled pork, pulled bacon, fried okra and Carolina Gold sauce. The Carolina Gold sauce was a giveaway for Haley.

And on caucus night itself, customers could dig into a Day One Dic-Tater, with Flamin’ Hot Cheeto orange kielbasa sausage, Jack cheese, tater rounds, housemade sauerkraut and Russian dressing. Trump recently vowed to only be a dictator on “day one” of his next term.

And throughout, diners had the choice of two special drinks: a Sleepy Joe shake or a Dark Brandon shake, both available with an alcohol option.

Haley wins over an undecided caucusgoer

NEWTON — Haley is making her case to some last-minute undecided caucusgoers — and winning over at least one.

During her third stop of a final pre-caucus push in PB’s Pub, Haley asked for a showing of hands from those who hadn’t yet made up their minds.

“We’ve got one guy,” she said, seeing Chris Varney raise his hand in the back.

After giving brief remarks and telling Iowans that “It’s go time,” Varney got a chance to speak with Haley.

“OK, she got me,” Varney said, prompting cheers from other attendees.

Eric Trump predicts ‘great night’ for his father

DES MOINES — The former president’s son is calling it now: It will be a “great night” for Team Trump.

He told The Associated Press hours before Iowa’s kickoff caucuses: “Everywhere I show up, there’s hundreds and hundreds of people, and they’re all wearing the Make America Great Again hats and carrying American flags.”

He says, “I think we’re going to have a great night.”

He says that he’s seen tremendous enthusiasm across the state for his father and that Republican voters are eager for a return to Trump’s policies.

Waiting for DeSantis but leaning toward other candidates

CEDAR RAPIDS — A few hours before the caucuses, Iowa Republican Steve Kessler sat in a sports bar awaiting an appearance by DeSantis, but he was still undecided about whom he would support.

“I like to take my time,” the 65-year-old retired electrical engineer said at Jerseys Pub & Grub.

But it wasn’t looking good for DeSantis.

“My heart is with Vivek because of his rambunctiousness,” Kessler said. “But I’m tempted to vote for Nikki to show my anti-Trump feelings.”

Why not DeSantis? “He’s not that charismatic,” he said. “But I figured I should see him before I go to caucus.”

Kessler was headed straight from the DeSantis event to his caucus site in Coralville, about 30 miles south of Cedar Rapids.

Iowa GOP caucusgoers say no to the status quo

DES MOINES — Iowa GOP caucusgoers want sweeping changes to how the federal government is run, according to AP VoteCast.

About 3 in 10 say they are seeking a complete and total upheaval. An additional 6 in 10 caucusgoers say they want substantial changes.

Most caucusgoers trust Iowa elections, but about 4 in 10 are not too confident or not at all confident in the integrity of U.S. elections. Nearly 6 in 10 have little to no confidence in the U.S. legal system.

Most Iowa GOP caucusgoers are unbothered by charges against Trump

DES MOINES — The criminal charges against Trump have done little damage to his reputation among Republicans headed to Monday night’s Iowa caucuses, according to AP VoteCast.

About three-quarters of caucusgoers say the charges are political attempts to undermine him, rather than legitimate attempts to investigate important issues.

Still, about a quarter say Trump has done something illegal when it comes to at least one of the ongoing legal cases he’s facing: his role in the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, his alleged attempts to interfere in the vote count in the 2020 presidential election or the discovery of classified documents at his Florida home that were supposed to be in government custody.

Top issues for Iowa GOP caucusgoers: Immigration, economy

About 4 in 10 GOP caucusgoers say immigration is the most important issue facing the country, according to AP VoteCast.

About one-third said it was the economy. Fewer people named other priorities, including foreign policy, health care, abortion or energy.

AP VoteCast is a survey of more than 1,500 voters who said they planned to take part in Monday’s Republican caucuses in Iowa, conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

The vast majority – 7 in 10 – said immigrants were a negative for the country, an indication that they’re not only seeking more order on the U.S. southern border but major cuts on how many foreigners can come into the country.

42-year-old Iowan plans to caucus for the first time

FORT DODGE — Melanie Klaassen, 42, plans to participate in her first caucuses on Monday night.

She and her husband, Michael, were among an engaged crowd of Trump supporters at ShinyTop Brewing who gathered to see surrogates of the former president.

The farmers from Pomeroy supported Trump in 2016 but went to their first rally in 2020 out of “curiosity,” she said. They found camaraderie there with people from “all walks of life,” Melanie said, who had been stereotyped as “bad, backwards people.”

“We’ve always voted, but we didn’t care either way how it turned out,” she said. That’s changed since Trump. “It feels like our voices really matter more,” she said.

‘The world is counting on Iowa,’ Kari Lake says

FORT DODGE — Dozens of Trump supporters gathered at ShinyTop Brewing Monday to get up close and personal with some of the former president’s best-known endorsers, including Reps. Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene, as well as U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake of Arizona.

“I want to tell you how much the world is counting on Iowa tonight,” Lake told the crowd. She added: “What you’re going to do tonight is you’re going to help save this world.”

Iowa voter wants to size up Haley before caucuses

PELLA — Some voters are still waiting to get the right impression from candidates just hours before the caucuses.

Darla De Haan said Monday as she ate lunch at The Bread Board that she had Nikki Haley at the top of her list but wanted to hear from the candidate in person. Haley was set to appear later Monday afternoon at the Pella restaurant.

De Haan, a psychotherapist, said that she had not caucused in years but was looking forward to participating this time.

“For me, it’s really about character,” De Haan said. “I want to see people who have integrity, who keep their word. … I kind of get a sense when you’re around someone, if they’re going to do what they say.”

De Haan said she had not seen other 2024 candidates as they have campaigned through Iowa over the past year but was interested to hear what Haley had to say during her round of closing arguments to the state’s caucusgoers.

‘It’s caucus day. Get excited!’ Haley tells supporters

DES MOINES — Dozens of people packed into a diner near Drake University as they waited for Haley.

“It’s caucus day. Get excited!” Haley said to a crowd of several dozen, many of whom drank coffee from cups festooned with “Pick Nikki” stickers.

Speaking directly to those serving as caucus captains, Haley asked them to “speak from the heart” in their Monday night speeches.

The GOP candidate plans to make several stops in central Iowa ahead of Monday night’s votes, including making an appearance at a caucus location before heading to her campaign celebration.

Trump starts caucus day by trash-talking rivals

DES MOINES — Trump is stepping up his attacks against his rivals on the morning of Iowa’s kickoff caucuses.

On his Truth Social site, Trump is knocking Haley, his former U.N. ambassador, as “an unwanted Globalist” and calling her “weak on the Border.”

Trump is also going after Vivek Ramaswamy, the tech entrepreneur who has run as a steward of his Make America Great Again movement.

“A vote for Vivek is a wasted vote,” Trump wrote in all caps. “I like Vivek, but he played it too ‘cute’ with us. Caucus tonight, vote for Donald J. Trump, build up the numbers!!!”

Trump spent much of the race praising Ramaswamy for saying nice things about him. But Trump turned on him this week after Ramaswamy posted a photo of himself posing with supporters wearing “Save Trump, vote Vivek” T-shirts.

Candidates make last-minute pleas on Sunday

‘A little too cold’ for the DeSantis kids

ANKENY — DeSantis took the stage with his wife and three young children Sunday night, joking that the severe weather has a little TV-style comic irony to it.

“We could do a sitcom on this,” DeSantis said to almost 1,000 people gathered at an events center in Ankeny, one of the largest audiences of his entire campaign. “Taking a Florida family and dropping them in the middle of a blizzard.”

DeSantis, who commonly travels with his kids, said that as of last month they had never seen snow and that they were excited when they did. “They had snowball fights and all that stuff,” he said. “They loved it.”

In the meantime, the temperature has dropped to well below zero on top of a foot of snow, forming glacier-like snowbanks.

“Well, now after seeing all this,” he said, “they say it’s a little too cold.”

Ernst shows up at DeSantis event, too

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst doesn’t want to be accused of not playing fair.

Hours after she appeared at an event with Haley in Ames, Ernst was among a crowd of more than 200 at a DeSantis event in Ankeny. She kicked off the event by introducing DeSantis’ lieutenant governor, Jeanette Núñez.

Haley offers well wishes for family of slain Iowa principal

At her closing event of the last day ahead of Iowa’s GOP caucuses, Haley offered well wishes for the family of an Iowa principal who died Sunday of injuries suffered in a school shooting earlier this month.

“Today my heart dropped again when I learned that we lost Dan Marburger,” she said, speaking in a wood-paneled lodge packed with several hundred supporters. “This principal was a hero. He saved lives.”

Marburger died 10 days after a 17-year-old student opened fire at Perry High School. An 11-year-old middle school student also died in the shooting, which ended with the gunman’s death.

“God bless (Marburger) and his family,” Haley said. “And we have got to finally acknowledge once and for all the cancer that is mental health in America.”

Former Iowa chair says Haley is ‘leaning into the future’

ADEL — David Oman, a former co-chair of the Iowa Republican Party, says he thinks Haley is far and away the best choice for the GOP, in part because she’s “leaning into the future.”

“I felt in my head and heart that the choice is pretty easy,” Oman said ahead of Haley’s final pre-caucus day event. “She’s got some good policy ideas and a lot of energy – what’s not to love?”

He also said that the country needs a president “to come in and take stock of new ideas and new people in key roles, reassert our leadership – that speaks to national security, which for me is always an important issue, and some of the others are frankly a little weak, in my view.”

Iowa Republican leader predicts ‘robust’ caucus turnout

Iowa Republican Party Chair Jeff Kaufmann is feeling more optimistic about caucus turnout than he was a few days ago.

“If you would have asked me this and the caucuses would have been two days ago, I would have said we would have significantly less turnout,” Kaufmann told reporters at a briefing hosted by Bloomberg on Sunday.

Clear skies Sunday that helped create conditions for crews to clear the roads bolstered his confidence. He said he was more concerned about icy roads than about low temperatures, which he said Iowans were accustomed to.

Without putting an exact number on it, Kauffman said, “I think it’s going to be a robust turnout.”

DeSantis dons an overcoat days after leaving his at home

DeSantis is wearing a winter coat again.

The Florida governor was bundled up at a campaign event in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, days after he left his coat at home in the Sunshine State when he was there delivering his State of the State address Tuesday.

“This is my winter coat. I have not worn this since I’ve been governor once,” DeSantis said in Iowa.

He told a crowd at a construction contractors convention in Des Moines on Wednesday that his staff was hustling his coat from Tallahassee.

Freezing in Iowa? This voter is still wearing shorts

DUBUQUE — Mark Calhoun wears shorts every day of the year.

The 61-year-old fan of DeSantis (and the Dallas Cowboys) ventured out in subzero temperatures Sunday — with bare legs — to see the candidate in Dubuque.

“He’s what we need,” Calhoun said.

The coldest caucus temperatures won’t keep him away Monday.

‘This is good pizza,’ Trump says after stop at Casey’s

WAUKEE — Trump and his former-rival-turned-backer, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, dropped by a Casey’s convenience store to pick up pizzas after his Indianola rally.

“The best you’ll ever have,” said a Casey’s worker as he handed over the food.

Trump then made another stop to deliver the pizzas to members of the Waukee Fire Department. He handed the stack of boxes out down the line of those assembled and chatted about their trucks and their work.

Trump then asked for a slice of his own.

“Good luck, everybody,” he said before taking a bite and continuing to chat as he ate. “This is good pizza, by the way,” he said.

Iowa Sen. Ernst introduces Haley at campaign event

AMES — Speaking to a room packed full of Iowans and out-of-state volunteers, Haley gave an abbreviated version of her campaign speech, drawing frequent cheers from the pink necklace and boa-clad “Women for Nikki” volunteers.

“It’s been eleven months, and it comes down to tomorrow,” Haley said of Monday’s caucuses, repeating her frequent call to GOP voters to elect her as a “new generational leader that leaves the negativity and the baggage behind and focuses on the solutions of the future.”

Haley was introduced by Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, who hasn’t endorsed a candidate in the 2024 campaign but said the former South Carolina governor is “inspiring so many people across the state of Iowa, inspiring them so much to get out and support her in the caucuses, support her in this quest for the nomination of the Republican Party for our president of the United States.”

Volunteers swarm Iowa to help give candidates last-minute boost

AMES — Out-of-state volunteers have descended on Iowa to help boost enthusiasm for their given candidates in the waning hours before the state’s leadoff caucuses.

On Sunday in Ames, dozens of women festooned in hot pink feather boas and beaded necklaces waved “Women for Nikki” signs ahead of her afternoon event.

One of them was Alissa Baker, who said she has been calling Iowans and knocking on doors since she arrived from Virginia on Saturday.

“We’ve stepped up our efforts on phone banking and definitely been making a lot more phone calls,” Baker said. “We’re doing everything that you would normally do to get out the caucus support.”

On Monday night, Baker said she would serve as a caucus captain for Haley’s campaign in the Ames area, telling caucusgoers why they should support the Republican.

Rubio endorses Trump before Iowa caucuses

WASHINGTON — Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida has become the 24th Republican senator to endorse Trump for president.

Rubio’s endorsement on Sunday means the two U.S. senators from Florida are now firmly behind Trump instead of DeSantis, their home-state governor. Trump is now one Republican senator short of securing the majority support of the GOP senators.

“I support Trump because that kind of leadership is the ONLY way we will get the extraordinary actions needed to fix the disaster Biden has created,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It’s time to get on with the work of beating Biden & saving America!”

The endorsement of Trump is a bit of a surprise, given that Haley endorsed Rubio when he was running in the 2016 Republican presidential campaign. Rubio dropped out of that race after losing Florida.

Hutchinson isn’t giving up on Iowa

AMES — He hasn’t been as visible on the campaign trail this week as some of the other Republican contenders, but Asa Hutchinson is still homing in on Iowa.

The former Arkansas governor was spotted Sunday at the same Ames barbecue restaurant where Haley was hosting a campaign rally. Hutchinson met with some lunchtime diners and did a media interview before heading out.

Hutchinson qualified for the first Republican candidate debate but didn’t meet the markers for the subsequent four. He said last week that he expects to beat expectations in Iowa’s caucuses.

Iowan says DeSantis’ response to Hamas attack cemented his support

COUNCIL BLUFFS — Hans Rudin, a 49-year-old community college adviser in Council Bluffs, Iowa, says DeSantis’ response to the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas won the Florida governor his support.

Rudin supported Trump in the past two elections but has now decided to caucus for DeSantis. The DeSantis administration arranged flights for Americans evacuating from Israel and sent cargo planes with health care supplies, drones, body armor and helmets.

“The definite trigger was Israel,” Rudin said, adding that he did not like Trump’s criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu days after the attack saying he “let us down” about another operation in which the U.S. killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

“I thought, This guy’s kind of a jerk. Well, I knew that beforehand in many ways, but I like Israel so much,” he said.

Nevertheless, Rudin said he would still support Trump over President Joe Biden if Trump becomes the Republican nominee.

Vote, no matter what, Trump says

INDIANOLA — Trump is telling his supporters not to let anything stop them from voting for him in Monday’s Iowa caucuses.

“You can’t sit at home. If you’re sick as a dog … Even if you vote and then pass away,” Trump said at his Sunday rally.

Snow stops, but frigid temperatures set in

The snow may have stopped falling across Iowa, but evidence of the treacherous storm that bore down on the state earlier this week remains.

Major interstates in the Des Moines area were mostly clear on Sunday, but wrecked cars and tractor trailers stranded in the snowstorms of recent days littered medians and areas just off the road.

Bone-chilling temperatures have now set in across the state ahead of Monday night’s presidential caucuses. In Des Moines on Sunday afternoon, it was mostly sunny and cold, with a high near minus-9 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-23 Celsius). The wind chill made it feel as cold as minus-30 Fahrenheit (minus-34 Celsius).

Former rival endorses Trump for president

INDIANOLA — Former Republican presidential candidate Doug Burgum is endorsing Trump for president.

“Four years ago, I was speaking on behalf of President Trump at the Iowa caucuses in Sioux City. And today I’m here to do something that none of the other presidential primary candidates have done, and that’s endorse Donald J. Trump for the president of the United States of America,” the North Dakota governor said, appearing with Trump at a rally in Indianola on Sunday.

Burgum, who ended his own campaign last month, said he’d had a “front-row seat,” both as a business leader and a governor, to see what Trump can do.

‘Go back to Mommy,’ Trump tells protesters who crash his rally

INDIANOLA — Trump’s rally was briefly interrupted by protesters — the first time it’s happened in years.

“You’ve taken millions!” a woman shouted as Trump was mid-rally, prompting the crowd to respond with a “Trump!” chant to drown her out.

“Go back to Mommy,” Trump responded as she was led out of the room. “So young and immature.”

Moments later came another protester, this one holding a black and yellow banner that read “Trump Climate Criminal.” He shouted the same thing. The same group interrupted a DeSantis town hall and a separate event for the Florida governor in Ames last week.

When he was running in 2016, Trump’s events were routinely interrupted by protesters.

“That used to happen all the time,” Trump remarked. “It always adds excitement.”

Couple heads to DeSantis event after Haley’s stop canceled

DUBUQUE — Judy and Brad Knowler drove a few miles from Peosta to hear Haley in Dubuque. A couple of hours later, after Haley’s in-person stop was canceled, they found themselves down the road at an event for DeSantis.

Brad, 67, is sure he’ll support Haley in Monday’s caucuses, but Judy, 64, was hoping to hear her in person to “give me a little bit more confidence.” From debates and negative political ads, she said, “it’s really hard to see the real person.”

“I have one foot in Nikki’s camp, but we’ll see,” she said as she waited for DeSantis to take the stage. “It’s an opportunity most Americans don’t get to be this close in person.”

‘Let’s see if we can get to 50%,’ Trump says

DES MOINES — Trump is setting high expectations in Iowa the day before the state’s caucuses — even as he criticizes those who are trying to do the same.

“Somebody won by 12 points, and that was like a record,” he said, citing Republican Bob Dole’s margin of victory in 1988.

“Well, we should do that. If we don’t do that, let ’em criticize us, right?” Trump told volunteers in Des Moines on Sunday morning. “But let’s see if we can get to 50%.”

Moments earlier, Trump had been complaining about the expectation that he earn a majority of the caucus votes Monday night.

“There seems to be something about 50%,” he said. “Now it doesn’t matter from a numbers standpoint. I think they’re doing it so that they can set a high expectation so if we end up with 49%, which would be about 25 points bigger than anyone else ever got, they can say, ’He had a failure, it was a failure.’”

Trump says Iowa win would be a victory over the ‘liars, cheaters’

INDIANOLA — Trump sounded a message of vengeance at his only Iowa rally this weekend.

“These caucuses are your personal chance to score the ultimate victory over all of the liars, cheaters, thugs, perverts, frauds, crooks, freaks, creeps and other quite nice people,” he said at a commit-to-caucus event in Indianola.

“The Washington swamp has done everything in its power to take away your voice,” Trump added. “But tomorrow is your time to turn on them and to say and speak your mind and to vote. And we’re going to take this country back.”

‘Walk on glass’ for Trump? These supporters would

INDIANOLA — Marc Smiarowski hunched to fight off the minus 18-degree chill outside the Kent Student Center on Simpson College campus Sunday morning, waiting for doors to open for former President Donald Trump’s midday rally at the small school south of Des Moines.

But as the weak winter sun hung low in the sky, a sense of bitterness burned in Smiarowski.

“I’m here in part out of spite,” said the 44-year-old public utility worker, who drove 40 miles to be there. “I can’t abandon him. After what they did to him in the last election, and the political persecution he faces, I feel like I owe him this. He’s our only option.”

“No one else could handle what he’s facing,” added his friend Kailie Johnson, a 26-year-old dental hygienist from the same small town of Huneston.

More than 30 minutes before the center opened, more than 100 people stood in line while layered in Carhartt coveralls with hats and hoods pulled down tight. It was a test run for Iowa’s caucuses Monday and of the devotion Trump said last week would make his supporters “walk on glass” for him.

Haley skips in-person campaign stop over weather

DUBUQUE — Haley’s campaign stop in Dubuque was canceled Sunday morning because of poor travel conditions, the campaign said about an hour before the scheduled event.

Voters walking into the venue were given the news by campaign staffers, who offered some a T-shirt, hat or yard sign as consolation.

John Schmid, 69, was already waiting at the venue when the event was called off.

“I don’t blame her,” said the retiree from Asbury, a few miles outside Dubuque. He’s already a Haley supporter, but he wanted to see the “refreshing” candidate in person. He hopes Haley will do well in Monday’s caucuses, which he’ll be at despite the bitter cold.

“It’s just part of living in Iowa in January,” he said.

Haley swapped the in-person event with a virtual town hall.

As frigid temperatures scour the Midwest, the Republican presidential nominating process will officially start Monday with Iowa’s caucuses.

The quadrennial contest has been unusually quiet this year, a mark of former President Donald Trump’s commanding lead in the race. An arctic blast dropping the state into subzero temperatures and dumping snow during the final days of the runup didn’t help, either.

But there’s plenty to consider heading into the caucuses, and after years of speculation and maneuvering over who will face President Joe Biden this November, we’ll finally have the first votes tallied.

Here are some things to watch:

WHO WINS SECOND

Iowa appears to be a battle for second place given Trump’s dominance. The real question is whether either of the two Republicans who lead the pack of very distant also-rans can make it a two-person race in the long run.

To do that, they probably need to at least come out of Iowa with a silver medal.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis once talked of winning the state, but he’s lowered expectations to simply having a good showing. With his campaign apparatus in turmoil and funds drying up, he needs a strong finish in a state where its movement conservatives would normally be his natural audience.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s technocratic and consensus-building pitch doesn’t seem tailor-made for Iowa, but the caucuses come just as she gained increased attention and financial support. Her strongest state may be the next one up, New Hampshire, and a second-place finish in Iowa could put her in a strong position as attention shifts to New England.

Rarely has so much ridden on a second-place finish in the first nominating state.

WHO BRAVES THE COLD?

Heading into the caucuses, much of the focus has been on Trump’s strong standing. The surprise may ultimately be more about the turnout and who would benefit from the brutal winter storm limiting participation.

After all, the caucus isn’t built for convenience. Those who participate must venture out after dark to one of 1,567 locations, almost always requiring a drive. The roads will be icy, the wind chill will be dozens of degrees below zero. Iowans are a famously hardy stock, but even they may flinch at venturing out in those conditions. The National Weather Service last week warned people not to leave their homes if possible.

On top of all that, people can be less motivated to vote in contests where winners are seen as inevitable.

On the flip side, Trump’s voters are very motivated to support him. DeSantis may benefit from having a deep organization to ferry nervous participants to caucus sites. Overall, conservative voters are excited to get 2024 underway — they’re angry at the state of things, like their candidates and see Biden as easily beaten in November.

The comparison will be 2016 when 186,000 Republicans turned out in the last competitive caucus. That’s a small number to have such a huge role in determining the nominee to lead a country of 330 million. Will we see fewer people this time?

WHAT’S TRUMP’S MARGIN?

The polls have been impressive but you don’t know how a candidate will fare until the votes are counted. Will Trump’s polling dominance translate to a big win on Monday? Or will there be a surprise?

Trump has popped into the state in the final days of the contest, but he’s also diverted his attention elsewhere in ways that are unusual for a candidate seeking to lock down an Iowa win. He, for instance, spent time last week at an appeals hearing in one of his criminal cases and the end of his fraud trial, hoping that would put him in better stead with Republican voters than crisscrossing Iowa. His rivals have dinged him for being gone, but it’s unclear whether it’ll hurt him in the state.

The odds of a surprise are always low — that’s why they’re surprises — but anything can happen in politics, especially with this weather. If Trump underperforms it could shake up a nominating contest that, to date, has been the sleepiest in modern memory.

RAMASWAMY’S MARK

One of the more unexpected side plots in the 2024 Republican primary has been Vivek Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old pharmaceutical entrepreneur who wrote a book called “Woke, Inc.” and then decided to run for president. His aggressive, social media-driven approach initially attracted some curiosity from Republican voters but seemed to turn many off after he attacked rivals during the debates.

Ramaswamy’s hard-charging style may not exactly be “Iowa nice,” but neither is Trump’s and he’s far ahead. Ramaswamy has been all over Iowa, hitting the campaign milestone of visiting all 99 counties in the state not once, but twice.

It’s not clear what Ramaswamy is competing for — he goes out of his way not to criticize Trump, but flames all other candidates in a potential audition for the frontrunner’s administration. Iowa will help determine whether he has a reason to keep running his quixotic campaign.