Ron DeSantis takes second place in Iowa Republican caucuses

NPR | By Clay Masters

Published January 15, 2024 at 10:19 PM CST

Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at his caucus night event on January 15, 2024 in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Follow NPR's liveblog for Iowa caucus updates, analysis and results.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has placed second in the Iowa Republican caucuses, according to a race call by The Associated Press.

Trump, who took an early win Monday night, solidified the commanding lead he's had in Iowa for the last year.

DeSantis went all in on Iowa and leaned heavily on a traditional ground game — campaigning in all of the state's 99 counties. He also picked up the endorsement of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and evangelical Christian leader Bob Vander Plaats, who endorsed the last three Republican Iowa caucus winners.

But it wasn't enough to overtake Trump's support in the state.

The DeSantis campaign faces an even tougher contest in New Hampshire, where he's been trailing both Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley for the last month.