Iowa after the caucus

Voters in the Iowa Caucus were moved by a variety of issues, many boiling down to topics of particular interest to the Hawkeye State, such as the future of the biofuel industry. Lynda, a convinced Ted Cruz supporter, was more interested in a national issue: that of personal liberty against government regulation. She says she supported Cruz so she can smoke a cigarette anywhere she wants.

The starting point of every presidential election since 1972, the Iowa caucuses assemble voters in thousands of precincts dispersed throughout the state. Voters gather in public places such as schools, gyms, town halls and, in some cases, even private homes, to discuss and eventually vote for their preferred candidates.

In the run-up to the caucuses, Iowa becomes, the center of the media's attention, hosting hundreds upon hundreds of journalists and crews from American and international outlets. This is a boon to the hotel industry in the region: a local newspaper reported that rooms in the state capital, Des Moines, were going for as much as $900 (€828) per night.

The Iowa caucuses are also a political bottleneck that serves to sort the stronger candidates from both sides from the less popular ones. Many often throw in the towel after the Hawkeye State's results come in. This year, smaller candidates from both parties have withdrawn from the race: Democrat Martin O'Malley and Republican Mike Huckabee have both suspended their campaigns.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz came out on top of the Republican caucuses with 28 percent of the vote, four points clear of former front-runner Donald Trump. Cruz's wife, who has been described as his "secret weapon" by some in the American media, was present to congratulate her spouse. She was present throughout the Iowa campaign, speaking to supporters to try and make them "fall in love" with him.

The race was much tighter in the Democratic vote, with front-runner Hillary Clinton clinching only a few decimal points more than her rival Bernie Sanders. The former Secretary of State won 49.9 percent of the vote, while the Vermont senator earned 49.5 percent, calling the result a "virtual tie." Clinton, who lost Iowa in 2008, admitted she was breathing a "huge sigh of relief."

This is only the first step in the process that will decide who the final candidates will be for November's general election. Historically, Iowa winners do not always end up making it to the national nomination. According to the American press, only 55 percent of Democrats and 43 percent of Republicans that won Iowa ended up being nominated for the general election.