After a nearly 24-hour wait for caucus results because of reporting delays within the Iowa Democratic Party, partial results showed U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar in fifth place in the race for state delegates, with 62% of precincts reporting by 6 p.m. Tuesday.

"I think I spent the least (money) on TV of all of the top eight candidates in the race, and the fact that we've been consistently in the top five … I think that's a real win for me," Klobuchar told reporters in Johnston before the caucuses began Monday.

Residents of two precincts filed into Johnston Middle School more than an hour before the caucuses started. Volunteers rang a cowbell each time a new Democrat registered to vote, eliciting waves of cheers through the main hallway.

Right at 7 p.m., as caucuses began in two separate gyms, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar arrived and quickly did a live television interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow.

Her staffers then whisked her into the bigger gym, where a few hundred residents sat in the bleachers.

"What unites us is bigger than what divides us," Klobuchar told the caucusgoers of Johnston's 2nd precinct. "I hope you all know that in this room — that the most important thing is that we win in the general election."

Klobuchar later won that precinct thanks to strong second-choice support.

Since announcing her candidacy in February 2019, the Minnesota senator made more than 30 trips to Iowa and is the only remaining Democratic candidate to have toured each of Iowa’s 99 counties.

She held more Iowa events than anyone who qualified for the CNN/Des Moines Register Democratic Presidential Debate in January.

Hundreds of supporters chanted "Amy! Amy!" as the Minnesota senator appeared at her post-caucus "victory" party at the Des Moines Marriott Downtown.

She first acknowledged delays in reporting from precinct sites — just 33 of 1,765 Iowa precincts had reported results by the time she took the stage at 10:30 p.m.

A spokesperson for the Iowa Democratic Party said Monday night that there were “inconsistencies in the reporting of three sets of results" that "will simply take time" to validate. The party was using preference cards and photos to do so, a statement said.

"We know there’s delays, but we know one thing — we are punching above our weight," Klobuchar said at the Marriott. "We are going to be here, it looks like, a really long time tonight. But let’s stay in a good spirit!

"Even during the well-earned impeachment trail of Donald Trump, we kept fighting and you kept fighting for me."

When closing arguments kept her in Washington, D.C, for most of Caucus Day, her husband and daughter listened on the radio while delivering glazed donuts to canvassers in Des Moines.

"We started in a blizzard and a lot of people didn't predict I'd finish that speech," she joked Monday night, then said she continued to beat expectations. "In the summer, they kept saying, 'Is she going to make it through the summer?' Then debate, after debate, after debate. All I can say is, we are here and we are strong."

Klobuchar's campaign manager, Justin Buoen, reacted to the partial results early Monday night, calling it a "five-person race."

"Some of Amy's strongest counties haven't been fully reported and the current data doesn't tell the full story," Buoen tweeted. "We're in a virtual tie with (former Vice President Joe Biden) and we look forward to making our case in New Hampshire."

Klobuchar caucus adviser Norm Sterzenbach, the former executive director of the Iowa Democratic Party, shared support for the party volunteers on Tuesday as the country awaited results.

He tweeted that "… despite any issues with the technology, countless volunteers across this state worked incredibly hard to put on the best caucus they could. They performed admirably and deserve our gratitude."

Klobuchar won more endorsements from Iowa lawmakers than the other candidates. Eighteen state senators and representatives backed her campaign, including Rep. Andy McKean of Anamosa — who was the longest-serving Republican in the legislature until he switched parties last year.

Her support grew slightly in the months before the caucuses. In Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa Polls in November and early January, 6% of likely Democratic caucusgoers said she was their first choice.

Shelby Fleig covers Des Moines' western suburbs for the Register. Reach her at shelbyfleig@dmreg.com or 515-214-8933.

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