US presidential race: a great deal at stake as the world watches

Des Moines, Iowa

MONDAY'S Iowa caucuses saw former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and Senator Ted Cruz win out narrowly in the Democratic and Republican races. Both emerged top in very closely fought contests against Senator Bernie Sanders, and billionaire businessman Donald Trump respectively. Senator Marco Rubio finished a stronger-than-anticipated third on the Republican side and his candidacy could now secure sizeable new momentum.

While Mrs Clinton and Mr Cruz will be relieved by their wins, other candidates will rightly emphasise that Iowa has a mixed record of picking the eventual presidential nominees. While the last three Democrats who won the state in a contested race - Barack Obama (2008), John Kerry (2004) and Al Gore (2000) - went on to win the party's crown, only one of the last three Republican nominees in similar competitive contests - George W Bush (2000) - won in the so-called Hawkeye state, a fact that will be noted by Mr Trump and Mr Rubio. Indeed, John McCain didn't finish in the top three in 2008, but went on to win the Republican crown.