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Sen. Bernie Sanders has captured 42.4 percent of the conversation among Iowans on Facebook, the largest share of any candidate. | AP Photo Sanders dominating pre-caucus Facebook conversation in Iowa

Sen. Bernie Sanders is dominating the conversation among Iowans on Facebook in the hours leading up to the caucuses, according to data shared by the social networking site.

Sanders has captured 42.4 percent of the conversation among Iowans on Facebook from midnight CST to noon on Monday, Facebook reports. That's more than Donald Trump, who has a 21.7 percent share of the conversation. Next comes Hillary Clinton at 13.1 percent, followed by Ted Cruz, who has 10.7 percent of the conversation.

Yet smaller shares of Facebook users have been talking about Rand Paul (4.7 percent), Ben Carson (2.6 percent), and Marco Rubio (1.9 percent).

Just among the Democratic candidates, Sanders is capturing 73 percent of the conversation compared to Clinton's 25 percent. Among Republicans, Trump is capturing 50 percent of the conversation compared to Cruz's 23 percent and Paul's 11 percent.

In the past 12 hours, the top issues discussed on Facebook in Iowa include the economy (16 percent), same-sex marriage (10 percent), Clinton's State Department emails (9 percent), religion (8 percent) and the Affordable Care Act (7 percent). Other undefined issues comprised a 51-percent majority of the Facebook conversation, though.