The Wire

After months of campaigning and numerous debates, citizens from the US state of Iowa have finally had their say on who they want running for president in 2016. Ted Cruz surprised many by winning the Republican vote ahead of favourite Donald Trump. The result of the Democrat contest saw presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders tied on 49%. So what exactly is a caucus, and why is so much attention placed on a state of only three million? Kia Woodmore spoke with Associate Professor in American Politics Brendon O’Conner from the US Studies Centre in Sydney, to find out why Iowa is so important in the race to the White House. Image: Iowa welcome sign, The Iowa Daily Democrat