White House race: Clinton lead razor-thin in Iowa; Trump trails

February 02, 2016 08:50

The battle to elect the next president of the United States got underway, with frontrunners Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton hoping to win the opening test in Iowa, the first state to cast votes.

Voters have begun meeting -- or caucusing -- across the state in schools, churches and other venues.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton's lead over Bernie Sanders was razor-thin with more than half of precincts reporting.

Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz moved ahead of Donald Trump before a quarter of the votes were counted and remained there.

Clinton's results revived memories of the former secretary of state's disappointing showing in Iowa eight years ago.

"We knocked on 125,000 doors this past weekend," Clinton told NBC's Today show. "Although it's a tight race, a lot of the people who are committed to caucusing for me will be there and standing up for me, and I will do the same for them in the campaign and in the presidency."

The Iowa caucuses mark the first real report card for presidential hopefuls.

A win for a candidate does not by any means spell a nomination at his or her party's convention, but victory (or even a competitive placing) in Iowa can help build momentum into the rest of the year. On the other hand, a weak result in the state could mean the beginning of the end for some campaigns especially in the crowded GOP field.

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