Democrat Martin O'Malley declared he was dropping out; Mike Huckabee also announced he is ending his campaign

Senator Sanders held a pre-dawn rally from the back of a pickup truck in Bow, New Hampshire, telling supporters his campaign 'astounded the world'

Clinton beat Sanders in at least six precincts after winning a coin toss, when the vote ended in a dead heat


Iowa's Democratic faithful will have to wait until today to find out officially who won their presidential caucuses, as state party officials botched the event.

Poor staffing led to questions at caucus sites scattered all over the state, leaving liberals with egg on their faces – and casting a cloud over the results although Hillary Clinton has already claimed victory.

Clinton also beat Sanders in at least six precincts after winning a coin toss, when the vote ended in a dead heat.

The Iowa Democratic Party said this morning that Clinton is ahead of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders by four state delegate equivalents with one precinct outstanding - but stopped short of officially declaring winner.

'The results tonight are the closest in Iowa Democratic caucus history,' party chair Andy McGuire said in a statement.

On the Republican side, Texas Senator Ted Cruz defeated frontrunner Donald Trump by capturing 28 per cent of the votes to the New York billionaire's 24 per cent. Marco Rubio finished in third with better-than-expected 23 per cent.

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I've won: Hillary Clinton claimed victory in a speech which came despite the Democratic vote heading for a tie as she spoke

'Thank you': Hillary took a victory lap - but in reality it was a dead heat and Bernie Sanders minutes later refused to hand her what she wanted

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton received a hug from former President Bill Clinton alongside their daughter Chelsea during a caucus night rally at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa

The Iowa Democratic Party will have to recreate the vote totals at the mismanaged locations by conferring with the Clinton and Sanders campaigns

At an early-morning rally in Bow, New Hampshire, where Sanders arrived from Iowa before dawn, the senator told his supporters that his campaign 'astounded the world' and is going to 'astound the world again' during the state's primary next week. Polls show Sanders leads Clinton by 20 points in New Hampshire.

Sanders was greeted in Bow by a large crowd of people carrying campaign signs and chanting ‘Feel the Bern,’ who stood outside in the cold for about two hours awaiting his arrival. Speaking from the back of a white pickup truck alongside his family, the Democratic candidate joked, 'something is wrong with you guys!'

Clinton's campaign claimed victory with official final results still outstanding in the extremely close presidential nominations contest.

'Hillary Clinton has won the Iowa Caucus. After thorough reporting - and analysis - of results, there is no uncertainty and Secretary Clinton has clearly won the most national and state delegates,' Hillary for America's Iowa State Director Matt Paul said in a statement.

'Statistically, there is no outstanding information that could change the results and no way that Senator Sanders can overcome Secretary Clinton's advantage.'

The Iowa Democratic Party, however, declined to rule in the race, placing Clinton slightly ahead of Sanders but saying there were still outstanding results in one precinct.

Party chair Andy McGuire said Clinton has been awarded 699.57 state delegate equivalents and that Sanders had been awarded 695.49.

But "we still have outstanding results in one precinct (Des Moines-42), which is worth 2.28 state delegate equivalents. We will report that final precinct when we have confirmed those results with the chair," he added.

"The results tonight are the closest in Iowa Democratic caucus history," McGuire said.

The Iowa Democratic Party had to recreate the vote totals at the mismanaged locations by conferring with the Clinton and Sanders campaigns.

Energized: Senator Sanders addressed a large crowd of supporters in Bow, New Hampshire, from the back of a pickup truck early Tuesday, telling them his campaign 'astounded the world'

Sanders, accompanied by his wife, Jane, joked there was 'something wrong' with the people who turned out for the pre-dawn rally and waited for him in the cold for two hours

The senator was greeted by a large crowd of supporters carrying campaign signs and chanting 'Fell the Bern'

Not conceding: Bernie Sanders said it was 'a virtual tie' and refused to back down - leaving no clear victor for the Democrats

Onward: Bernie Sanders saluted the cloud after a speech which pointedly did not say he had been defeated - but that he had half the votes

Feeling the Bern: Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders watched the caucus returns in his hotel room

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders stands on stage with his wife during his Caucus night event at the at the Holiday Inn

Every campaign typically has a designated observer at each caucus site to be sure each vote is credited to the right candidate, and then a Democratic official certifies the final count and sends it to the state party headquarters – this year, via a special Microsoft mobile app.

But it appears that when it was time in nine precincts to communicate the results, no one from the party was there to relay them.

The Sanders campaign told reporters late Monday night at the Des Moines International Airport, where a charter flight to New Hampshire was preparing to leave Iowa, that the party had dropped the ball in nine precincts.

But by then results were reported from 1,672 of the 1,681 caucus precincts, meaning that the problem exists in the other nine.

The episode is reminiscent of the Republicans' 2012 caucus woes, when votes for eight precincts were lost on election night and never located. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum won that contest by 34 votes after three weeks of recounting, topping the eventual Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

For days and days, the GOP was the butt of jokes as it counted and recounted votes from the town of Clinton, Iowa.

But this time around it's the Democrats dealing with pandemonium, and another Clinton could wind up on the losing end.

Instead of keeping her powder dry, Hillary claimed victory hours before the depth of the party's problems became apparent, and said she was 'breathing a big sigh of relief.'

'To the families and friends of this state, I am deeply grateful,' she said, while her edge over Sanders dwindled.

'As I stand here tonight, breathing a big sigh of relief – thank you, Iowa! -– I want you to know I will keep doing, my entire life, I will keep standing up for you. I will keep fighting for you.'

But Sanders stuck around in Des Moines as the gap between him and Hillary narrowed.

'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 told supporters around 11:00pm, after Clinton had spoken.

Waiting game: Supporters wait for results during Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders' caucus night party in Des Moines, Iowa.

Confusion: Poor staffing led to questions at caucus sites scattered all over the state, leaving liberals with egg on their faces – and casting a cloud over the results although Hillary Clinton has already claimed victory

No result: Iowa's Democratic faithful will have to wait until today to find out who won their presidential caucuses, as state party officials botched the event and can't determine who won in nine of the 1,681 voting precincts.

High demand: Supporters line up outside a Democrat Party caucus held at Maple Grove Elementary in West Des Moines, Iowa

'Tonight, while the results are still not known, it looks like we are in a virtual tie,' he claimed, thanking Iowa Democrats for giving him half of the state's delegates to the Democratic National Convention in August.

The Republican Party gleefully poked fun at the photo finish.

'Tonight was nothing short of an unmitigated disaster for Hillary Clinton and the Democrat Party,' Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said.

'The Democrat establishment wanted a coronation for Clinton but is now facing the very real prospect that a self-proclaimed socialist could be their party’s nominee.'

'With damaging new developments breaking in her email scandal and an all-but-certain loss next week in New Hampshire,' he added, 'the Clinton campaign drastically under-performed when they desperately needed to over deliver.'

The Democratic Party, meanwhile, spun the result as a sign of strength.

'Tonight was a huge success for Democrats, who gathered with their neighbors all across Iowa for a competitive race defined by voters’ enthusiasm and energy to send a strong message: we must keep America moving forward,' said Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz.'

Republicans had their own turmoil Monday night as Donald Trump proved he's not invincible.

The billionaire finished the Republican caucuses in second place, losing the first GOP presidential contest of the year to Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

Big win: Ted Cruz greets his supporters in Iowa on Monday night shortly after being declared the victor in the Iowa caucuses

Kiss for the victor: Heidi Cruz congratulates her husband on stage at the end of his lengthy victory speech, which quoted the Psalms

Family fair: Donald Trump conceded surrounded by his family including his daughter Ivanka and wife Melania

Admission: Trump said he did not feel bad about losing to Ted Cruz 'I want to tell you something: I'm just honored. I'm really honored.'

Kiss victory goodbye: Trump blows a kiss to the audience as he concedes defeat to Ted Cruz, watched by his wife Melania and sons Eric (left) and Donald Jnr (right) and Donald Jnr's wife Vanessa Haydon

IOWA REPUBLICAN RESULTS Ted Cruz 27.65% Donald Trump 24.31% Marco Rubio 23.09% Ben Carson 9.31% Rand Paul 4.54% Jeb Bush 2.80% Carly Fiorina 1.86% John Kasich 1.86% Mike Huckabee 1.79% Chris Christie 1.75% Rick Santorum 0.95% Advertisement

Cruz never trailed as the night wore on, ending with about 27.6 per cent of the Republican votes. Trump took 24.3 per cent.

More surprising was the strength of Florida Senator Marco Rubio's third-place finish. He took 23.1 per cent and threatened to bump Trump down another notch as the night wore on.

Trump led in each of the last 10 Iowa GOP polls, but Cruz claimed victory in the only survey that counted.

As CNN's Wolf Blitzer called the race for Cruz, cheers went up at the senator's victory party. Boos rang out at Trump's.

'Iowa has sent notice,' Cruz said in an eight-minute victory speech, 'that the Republican nominee and the next President of the United States will not be chosen by the media.'

That was a jab at Trump, who has dominated the airwaves since launching his campaign last June.

Cruz, exulting in his support from fellow evangelical Christians, yelled 'To God be the glory!' as he took the stage. He went on to quote scripture and reference Ronald Reagan - and call his victory a triumph for the grassroots.

His victory, on a night of record caucus turnout, gave him the largest raw number of votes – more than 51,000 – ever cast for a GOP Iowa caucus contender.

Celebrations: Marco Rubio celebrated on stage with his wife and children

Topple: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump lost to Ted Cruz in the Iowa polls. He was joined by his wife Melania Trump awaiting the Iowa caucuses to begin at St Francis of Assisi church in West Des Moines

Marco Rubio, who outperformed his polling average by 6 percentage points, told his supporters in a lengthy speech that he planned to win the primaries

The Republican result defied conventional wisdom as much as Trump had done throughout the early election season.

Pundits had predicted that a large turnout would buoy Trump on the strength of first-time caucus-goers - but they were wrong.

Turnout set new records – more than 170,000 GOP voters participated – it was Cruz who benefited.

An emotional Ted Cruz quoted psalms and scriptures as flanked by his wife and parents Senator Cruz took to the stage Elwell Center in Des Moines with the words: ‘To God be the glory.’

'Tonight is a victory for the grass roots. Tonight is a victory for the greatest conservatives across Iowa. Tonight the state of Iowa has spoken. Ted Cruz in his victory speech

To rapturous applause, whoops and hollers from the 500 or so faithful who had waited patiently for the senator’s arrival he declared: 'Tonight is a victory for the grass roots.

'Tonight is a victory for the greatest conservatives across Iowa. Tonight the state of Iowa has spoken.'

In what appeared to be a sideswipe at Trump, he added: 'Iowa has sent a note that the next President of the United States will not be chosen by the media. He will not be chosen by the Washington establishment [or] by the lobbyists…but will be chosen by the most incredible powerful force, where all sovereignty resides in this nation – by we the people.'

Quoting from Psalm 30, to knowing comments and applause from the assembled faithful he noted: ‘Weeping may tarry for the night but joy cometh with the morning.’

Shouts of ‘Amen!’ and ‘Alleluia!’ could be heard as he stated: 'Tonight Iowa has proved to the world that morning is coming.' It was also a nod to Ronald Reagan's slogan 'It's morning in America'. Cruz had previously spoken of getting 'the Reagan coalition' back together.

‘Iowa loves you Ted!’ shouted a member of the crowd. ‘And I love Iowa’ came the senators response.

As Commander in Chief, Cruz vowed that he would ‘fulfill the most solemn obligation of the President; to keep this nation safe.’

And he was not, he said, afraid of naming the greatest threat to its safety - ‘radical Islamic terrorists,’ the crowd chimed in as he spoke.

Cruz spared little time for his Democratic opponent – unclear as it was quite who that opponent might be, he said he wanted to take on Clinton.

He added: ‘I cannot wait to stand on the debate stand with Hillary Clinton.’

Massive turnout: Iowans gathered to caucus at the Iowa State Historical Society in Des Moines on Monday night. Officials say turnout was record breaking

Long wait: Trump and his wife attended a caucus as the early results showed the tycoon was in a closely fought fight with Ted Cruz

IOWA CAUCUS SPEECH HIGHLIGHTS TED CRUZ 'Let me first of all say, to God be the glory. Tonight is a victory for the grassroots. Tonight is a victory for courageous conservatives across Iowa, and all across this great nation. Tonight the state of Iowa has spoken. Iowa has sent notice that the Republican nominee for the next president of the United States will not be chosen by the media. Will not be chosen by the Washington establishment. Will not be chosen by the lobbyists. But will be chosen by the most incredible powerful force, where all sovereignty resides in our nation by we the people. The American people.' 'Tonight is a victory for millions of Americans, who have shouldered the burden of seven years of Washington deals run amok. Tonight is a victory for every American who's watched in display as career politicians in Washington in both parties refuse to listen and too often fail to keep their commitments to the people. Tonight is a victory for every American who understands that after we survive eight long years of the Obama presidency, that no one personality can right the wrongs done by Washington.' 'The Democrats here seem to be in a virtual tie between one candidate who admits he’s a socialist and the other candidate who pretends she’s not. I wish them both luck.' Ted Cruz (pictured) told supporters: 'Tonight is a victory for the grassroots. Tonight is a victory for courageous conservatives across Iowa' DONALD TRUMP 'We finished second, and I want to tell you something: I'm just honored. I'm really honored. And I want to congratulate Ted, and I want to congratulate all of the incredible candidates, including Mike Huckabee, who has become a really good friend of mine.' 'Iowa, we love you. We thank you. You're special. We will be back many, many times. In fact, I think I might come here and buy a farm. I love it!' 'We love New Hampshire. We love South Carolina. And we're leaving tonight and tomorrow afternoon we'll be in New Hampshire. And that will be something special. It's going to be a great week. I think we're going to be proclaiming victory, I hope.' MARCO RUBIO 'For months, for months they told us we had no chance. For months they told us because we offer too much optimism in a time of anger, we had no chance. For months they told us because we didn't have the right endorsements or the right political connections, we had no chance. They told me that we have no chance because my hair wasn't gray enough and my boots were too high. They told me I needed to wait my turn, that I needed to wait in line. But tonight, tonight here in Iowa, the people of this great state have sent a very clear message. After seven years of Barack Obama, we are not waiting any longer to take our country back.' 'Hillary Clinton is disqualified from being the president of the United States. Because she stored classified and sensitive information on her e-mail server, because she thinks she's above the law. Hillary Clinton can never be commander in chief. Because anyone who lies to the families of people who lost their lives in service of this country can never be commander in chief of the United States.' HILLARY CLINTON 'So I stand here tonight, breathing a big sigh of relief: Thank you, Iowa.' 'I love all of you. Here's what I want you to know. It is rare that we have the opportunity we do now, to have a real contest of ideas. To really think hard about what the Democratic Party stands for and what we want the future of our country to look like if we do our part to build it. I am a progressive who gets things done for people. I am honored to stand in the long line of American reformers who make up our minds that the status quo is not good enough. That standing still is not an option. And that brings people together to find ways forward that will improve the lives of Americans.' 'I know we can combat climate change and be the clean energy superpower of the 21st century. I know we can make our education system work for every one of our children, especially those who come with disadvantages. I know we can make college affordable and get student debt off the backs of young people. And I know we can protect our rights, women's rights, gay rights, voting rights, immigrant rights, workers rights. I know too we can stand up to the gun lobby and get common sense gun safety measures. And how do we do that? We do that by securing the nomination, and then we do it by winning and going into that white house as others before have, determined to push forward on the great goals and values that unite us as Americans.' Hillary Clinton, standing with her husband, former president Bill Clinton and their daughter, Chelsea, said: 'So I stand here tonight, breathing a big sigh of relief: Thank you, Iowa' BERNIE SANDERS 'Thank you. Iowa, thank you. Nine months ago, we came to this beautiful state. We had no political organization; we had no money; no name recognition. And we were taking on the most powerful political organization in the United States of America. And tonight while the results are still not known, it looks like we are in a virtual tie.' 'We do not represent the interests of the billionaire class, Wall Street or corporate America. We don't want their money. We will -- and I am very proud to tell you, we are the only candidate on the Democratic side without a super PAC. And the reason that we have done so well here in Iowa, the reason I believe we're going to do so well in New Hampshire, and in the other states that follow, the reason is, the American people are saying, "no to a rigged economy." They no longer want to see an economy in which the average American works longer hours for low wages while almost all new income and wealth is going to the top one percent.' 'So I say to the Republicans, stop worrying about your campaign funds from big oil or the Koch brothers worry about the planet you're going to be leaving your children and your grandchildren.' Advertisement

Rubio, who outperformed his polling average by 6 percentage points, told his supporters in a lengthy speech that he planned to win the primaries.

'This is the moment they said would never happen,' he said. 'For months they told us we had no chance. They told me we had no chance because my hair wasn’t gray enough and my boots were too high.'

'They told me I needed to wait my turn, that I needed to wait in line,' he continued. 'This is your turn!' a supporter shouted.

'Tonight, here in Iowa, the people sent us a very clear message,' Rubio said. 'After seven years of Barack Obama, we are not waiting any longer to take our country back.'

Trump's speech was far shorter and – uncharacteristically – less ostentatious.

'I was told by everybody: Do not go to Iowa. You could never finish in the top ten,' he claimed. 'We finished second, and I want to tell you something. I'm honored. I'm just honored.'

'We're 28 points ahead in New Hampshire,' he said, looking ahead to the next primary state.

'We will go on to get the Republican nomination,' he claimed, and beat 'Hillary or Bernie or whoever the hell else they throw up there.'

'I love the people of Iowa,' he said. ''I think I might come here and buy a farm.'

Out: Martin O'Malley appeared at a caucus event at Drake University on Monday night, but ended his presidential campaign hours later

Voting: The historic celebration of democracy sees thousands gather to personally place their votes and debate the issues

Selfie: A young fan poses with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for a selfie as he sits with wife Melania at a church where voters caucused Monday night

Iowa's quadrennial caucuses are essentially neighborhood meetings, where citizens stand up and speak in favor of their preferred presidential candidates and votes are taken to determine whose messages have prevailed.

Interest was so intense nationwide that the website the Iowa Republican Party used to collect and report vote totals crashed an hour after the caucuses started - leaving the GOP far behind the Democrats in getting the numbers released to the public and the media.

Microsoft, which ran the vote-reporting system through mobile apps, told DailyMail.com in a statement from a spokesperson that 'the mobile apps for both parties have been working without issue.'

'National interest in the Iowa Caucuses has overwhelmed the Democratic and Republican Party Iowa Caucus websites, and we’re working to resolve' it.

At Olin Hall, Drake University, hundreds of young voters jostled into lines that overflowed from precinct's allotted caucus rooms.

Those still to register were guided to desks where registration papers were scattered like confetti –the system strained under the demand of students and millennials keen to make their mark and cast their vote.

Drake University played host to four Republican precincts and one Democratic.

The caucusers started arriving soon after six – a gentle trickle of early arrivers that belied the deluge of voters to follow.

By ten to seven the stairs down to Room 101, the room allotted for the Democratic precinct, were at a standstill as would-be voters registering at the desk at the bottom caused a logjam of frustrated enthusiasm.

Making a point: Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump speaks at his caucus night rally

Celebrity: Trump was an instant camera-magnet at Saint Francis of Assisi Church in West Des Moines as he prepared to address caucus-goers

Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses his supporters after finishing second in the Iowa Caucus, in West Des Moines, Iowa

Iowa has decidedly mixed results in picking eventual nominees.

The past two Republican caucus winners – former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum – faded as the race stretched on.

In the Des Moines suburb of Clive, Rubio addressed a packed fieldhouse where a few thousand Iowans gathered in a joint caucus that combined two precincts.

After leading the Pledge of Allegiance and introducing his family, Rubio warned that America 'will not remain the greatest nation in the history of all mankind if the next four years are anything like the last seven.'

'Today we are on the verge of being the first generation of Americans who leave their children worse-off,' he claimed, saying the nation would tumble deeper into disrepair 'if, God forbid, a socialist like Bernie Sanders, or someone who believes she is above the law, like Hillary Clinton, is elected President the United States.'

Dr. Ben Carson also spoke on his own behalf at the caucus location where Rubio led off the evening.

He said people had asked him if all the scrutiny that comes with being a presidential candidate was 'worth it.'

'The answer is no,' he joked, as laughs rang out.

'Not if you're doing it for yourself. But the answer is yes if you're doing it for others.'

Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley attends a small gathering of supporters where he announced the suspension of his presidential campaign

Climbing the ladder: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (left) and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (right) were in a middle-tier of Republicans who desperately wanted to finish in the top three or four places on Monday, but only Rubio made it

Devoted: Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio and his family pray during opening of a caucus site

Dr. Ben Carson (pictured) spoke on his own behalf at the caucus location where Rubio led off the evening. He said people had asked him if all the scrutiny that comes with being a presidential candidate was 'worth it'

'I was thinking about retiring ... It was really going to be great,' Carson said.

'But then along came the "Run, Ben, Run" people and the draft movement. And I had hundreds of thousands of petitions, and I thought maybe it would go away if I ignored it. But it didn't.'

Carson said he was pegging his candidacy to the notion that 'the government was never supposed to be in every aspect of our lives. … Look at what that costs us.'

'We Americans must be proud of who we are. We cannot give away our values and principles for the sake of political correctness.'

With Bush in New Hampshire, his campaign provided a surrogate to speak, former Ambassador Mary Kramer.

And, like he has for most of this campaign cycle, Bush was again upstaged by Trump.

During Bush’s turn The Donald showed up to represent himself and created a clatter at the back of the caucus hall as Kramer droned on.

Once onstage, Trump stuck to his stump speech.

'That's really been my theme, from day one, Make America Great Again,' the billionaire reiterated, as his wife Melania, dressed in all red, stood to his left offstage.

'No, I'm not nervous,' she told Dailymail.com. 'It's an amazing turnout,' she gushed.

Former US President Bill Clinton leaves the auditorium after his wife US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton spoke to supporters during the Democratic Caucuses night campaign rally at Olmsted Center, Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa

Star power: Former President Bill Clinton greeted his wife Hillary's supporters at a campaign office in Ankeny, Iowa on Monday before caucusing got underway

Looking ahead: Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich won't win many converts in conservative Iowa but hopes to place in the top three next week in the New Hampshire primary election

Her husband hit on the debt, trade with China and the wretched Iran deal, receiving a few grimaces from those in the crowd who were clearly caucusing for other candidates.

'We're going to repeal, and absolutely repeal and replace Obamacare,' Trump said.

'We're going to build a wall,' he said. 'We are going to build a wall. And people are going to come into our country, but they are going to come into our country legally,' he continued.

'It's been an amazing journey, it started on June 16 and I will tell you that we are going to start winning again,' Trump added. 'We are going to win with everything.'

We're going to repeal, and absolutely repeal and replace Obamacare

Trump then thanked the giant crowd. 'You're amazing people, it's an incredible process.'

And as Trump and his entourage swept out of the caucus site, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, the winner of the 2012 caucuses, walked in.

Santorum, sporting his trademark sweater vest, veered around Trump and his flurry of security guards and reporters, purposely avoiding a run-in.

'I will tell you, my wife just called me, she spoke after Donald Trump at her caucus and she said she was so intimidated "I just got up and said I'm a home-schooling mom with seven children,"' Santorum said to laughs.

'So it was a little tough for her, but she did a good job,' Santorum added. 'And I'm very proud of her.'

Santorum tried reminding the crowd why they liked him so much four years before – he didn't have money, he wasn't who the media paid attention to and, referring to this year's race noted that he wasn't engaged in the 'food fight that's going on,' alluding to Trump.

'You did the right thing four years ago,' Santorum said.

'Do what you did last time,' he implored. 'Give me a shot.'

Republicans John Kasich, Chris Christie and Jeb Bush were all spending Monday night in New Hampshire – not only to get a jump on the weather but also on their competitors in a state with voters who are expected to be friendlier to more traditional GOP candidates.

None of them polled more than 3 per cent on Monday night.

Cruz modeled his campaign after past Iowa winners, visiting all of the state's 99 counties - known as the full Grassley after Senator Chuck Grassley, and courting influential evangelical and conservative leaders. The state was seemingly tailor-made for his brand of uncompromising conservatism.

Meanwhile Martin O'Malley, the former governor of Maryland suspended his White House bid after receiving no support in Iowa.

Sources close to the campaign said after caucus results came in that the Democratic candidate would pull out of the race.