Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee won convincing victories in Iowa's caucuses last night that both men called a mandate from voters for change.
Obama, a senator from Illinois, got 38 per cent support for a win fueled in part by voter turnout almost double that of Democrats in 2004. Former Senator John Edwards finished second, while the party's longtime front-runner, Senator Hillary Clinton, was third.
Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, claimed 34 per cent of the Republican vote, besting his chief rival, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who had outspent Huckabee in the state by tens of millions of dollars and garnered 25 percent. Senator John McCain, who gave little attention to Iowa, finished fourth, closely behind former Senator Fred Thompson and ahead of Texas Representative Ron Paul.
“We're choosing unity over division, and sending a powerful message that change is coming to America,”' Obama, 46, told supporters in Des Moines.
Like Obama, Huckabee, 52, credited his victory to voters' craving for change.
“Tonight what we have seen is a new day in American politics,”' Huckabee said at his victory celebration. “Tonight we've learned that American politics still is in the hands of ordinary folks like you.'”
The caucuses also narrowed the Democratic field before the New Hampshire primary on January 8. Senators Joseph Biden of Delaware and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut announced they are abandoning their bids for the presidential nomination after failing to register even one per cent support in the caucuses. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson registered 2 percent.
The results were setbacks for one-time New Hampshire front- runner Romney, 60, who saw his lead in Iowa evaporate in the final weeks of the race, and for Clinton, who has sought to position herself as the inevitable nominee for the Democrats.
All about Barack
Name: Barack Hussein Obama
Date and location of Birth: August 4, 1961; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Political Party: Democrat
Spouse: Michelle Obama
Alma Mater: Columbia University, Harvard Law School
Children: Two daughters; Malia Ann (9) and Natasha (7)
Books: Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
All about Mike
Name: Michael Dale "Mike" Huckabee
Date and location of Birth: August 24, 1955; Hope, Arkansas
Political Party: Republican
Spouse: Janet McCain Huckabee
Alma Mater: Ouachita Baptist University
Children: John Mark, David, and Sarah
Books Character is the Issue: How People With Integrity Can Revolutionize America, Kids Who Kill, Living Beyond Your Lifetime, Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork, From Hope to Higher Ground: 12 Stops to Restoring America's Greatness, Character Makes a Difference: Where I'm From, Where I've Been, and What I Believe
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