How Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders split Iowa voters
After days of delay, 99.94% of Iowa's precincts have reported results from the Iowa Democratic caucuses. In the latest tally, former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg holds a narrow lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Buttigieg
26.2%
Sanders
26.1%
Warren
18.0%
Biden
15.8%
Klobuchar
12.3%
% of state delegates
A closer look at the results shows that different areas and demographic groups pushed the two candidates ahead of the pack. Here's how it played out.
Sanders in the cities, Buttigieg in the burbs
Buttigieg did well across the state, winning the Des Moines suburbs, a crucial battleground, and many smaller towns. Sanders’ victories were concentrated in more densely populated cities, like Des Moines and Cedar Rapids.
Margin of victory by county
Margin of victory
Wealthier, older counties chose Buttigieg. The younger voters turned out for Sanders
Buttigieg won in counties across all levels of income, including the state's richest, Dallas and Warren.
Sanders captured young voters, racking up votes in the big college towns. Buttigieg swept most of the older counties.
Second round boosted Buttigieg
With 99.94% of precincts reporting, Bernie Sanders has received the most raw votes in both rounds of voting, but a boost in the second round has given Pete Buttigieg a narrow lead in state delegate equivalents.
What about the rest?
Elizabeth Warren won only Johnson County, home to Iowa City and the University of Iowa, but finished third thanks to her support across cities.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, a onetime favorite to capture the Hawkeye State, did well in a scattering of rural precincts. He failed to garner enough support to perform to his campaign's expectations.
Amy Klobuchar ultimately came in a close fifth, gathering some support mainly in the northern counties bordering her home state, Minnesota.
The other candidates collectively did not win more than 10% of the vote in any of the state's 99 counties.
Share of total vote by candidate
Sanders
0
50%
Dubuque
Sioux City
Cedar Rapids
Des Moines
Iowa City
Buttigieg
0
50%
Warren
0
50%
Biden
0
50%
Klobuchar
0
50%
Everyone else
50%
0
Up next:
- Feb. 11: New Hampshire primaries
- Feb. 22: Nevada Democratic caucuses
- Feb. 29: South Carolina Democratic primary
- March 3: Super Tuesday: Democratic primaries for Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Democrats Abroad, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia