GOP 2016 Ted Cruz Wins Iowa

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, arrives for a caucus night rally, Monday, Feb. 1, 2016, in Des Moines, Iowa. Cruz sealed a victory in the Republican Iowa caucuses, winning on the strength of his relentless campaigning and support from his party's diehard conservatives.(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

(Chris Carlson)

Update 10:49 p.m.: And now from Sanders, who alluded to how his campaign had been written off earlier but came back to be within 1 percent of Clinton:

"Nine months ago we came to this beautiful state. We had no political organization, we had no money, we had no name recognition and we were taking on the most powerful political organization in the United States of America," he said referring to Clinton. "And tonight, while the results are still not known, we are in a virtual tie."

Sanders said he thought the results from Iowa sent a message to the political establishment and the media establish that "it is just too late for establishment politics and establishment economics. What the American people have said ... we can no longer continue to have a corrupt campaign finance system."

Update 10:30 p.m.: Clinton is addressing supporters at her headquarters in Iowa. With the race still close between her and Sanders, she didn't declare victory.

"It is rare that we have the opportunity we do now to have a real contest of ideas," she said. "I am a progressive who gets things done for people."

Update 10:19 p.m.: Cruz takes the stage at his Iowa campaign headquarters.

"God bless the great state of Iowa," he began. "Tonight is a victory for the grassroots. Tongiht is a victory for courageous conservatives across Iowa and across this great nation. Tonight the great state of Iowa has spoken."

He said the state made a statement that the next GOP nominee won't be chosen by the media or lobbyists, but the American people.

Cruz touted that his victory amounted to the most votes ever recorded for a Republican winner in Iowa.

Update 9:51 p.m.: A more subdued Trump is giving a speech at his Iowa headquarters.

While Trump is the national front-runner and was battling Cruz for first place in Iowa before the caucuses began, he didn't do a lot of citing polls as he usual does in his speeches. Instead, he pointed out that he was told he wouldn't finish in the top 10 of candidates in the state when he announced his candidacy in the summer.

Trump said he was heading to New Hampshire, which is holding its primary next week, but didn't display the usual confidence characteristic of his campaign.

"I think we're going to be proclaiming victory, I hope," he said.

Update 9:37 p.m.: Rubio is addressing supporters in Des Moines and is referencing his stronger than expected showing in the Iowa caucus. He addressed the young man in a hurry charge leveled against him.

"They told me i needed to wait my turn. That i needed to wait in line, but tonight here in Iowa, the people of this great state sends a very clear message: After seven years of Barack Obama, were not waiting to take our country back," he said. "This is not a time for waiting."

Rubio is battling Trump for second place in Iowa. Trump is leading by 1 percentage point, 24 percent to Rubio's 23 percent.

Update 9:30 p.m.: Cruz is projected to win the Iowa caucus, according to multiple media outlets.

The final numbers are yet to be determined, but Trump and Rubio are battling for third place.

Meanwhile, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the caucuses in 2008, is suspending his campaign, while O'Malley is suspending his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Original story: After months of campaigning, the 2016 presidential race begins in earnest tonight with the Iowa caucuses - the first test of the dozen Republican and three Democratic presidential candidates vying for the White House. Iowa caucus-goers are to report to their caucus site by 7 p.m. CST, and it could be a few hours before results and winners of the first presidential contest of 2016 are in.

If you're looking for comprehensive results from the Iowa caucuses, the New York Times will be providing up-to-the minute data on the winners and losers via the Associated Press, with support broken down by densely and sparsely populated counties, income, religion and education. The Times is also breaking down who won support from voters who caucused with the winner and runner up from the last competitive caucuses: eventual 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and Iowa Caucus winner Rick Santorum for the Republicans and Iowa winner and 2008 nominee Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for Democrats.

Heading into the caucuses, Republican front-runner Donald Trump is leading in the polls with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz not far behind, while Clinton has a lead over her main rival, independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

If you're looking for live stream coverage of the caucuses, the Des Moines Register will be providing video on the newspaper's home page starting at 7 p.m. CST. The paper is also giving results from all of Iowa's 99 counties and 1,681 election precincts.

On the Republican side, 30 delegates will be up for grab in the Iowa caucuses. Those delegates will be distributed proportionally based on statewide results. While that means that a close winner in Iowa won't be running away with the GOP nomination anytime soon, a victory gives them momentum going into next week's first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire, along with increased media coverage.

Conversely, a poor showing by a candidate expected to do well in Iowa could lead them to dropping out of the race.

For Clinton, Sanders, and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, the Iowa caucuses are even more symbolic than the GOP candidates because the contest doesn't directly award 52 convention delegates. Instead, the Democratic caucus sends delegates to Iowa's district and state convention, which in turn votes on delegates to the national convention.