Texas Senator Ted Cruz has won the Iowa Republican caucuses, the first vote to choose US presidential candidates.
“Tonight is a victory for courageous conservatives,” he declared, to great applause, as he railed against Washington, lobbyists and the media.
He took 28% of the Republican vote, beating his rival, the frontrunner Donald Trump, and Marco Rubio.
Votes in the Democratic race are still being counted, with Hillary Clinton’s camp saying they have narrowly won.
The aim of the primary and caucus races in the coming months is to determine which candidates will stand for the two main parties in the November presidential election.
Iowa caucus results
Republican vote, 99% reported:
Ted Cruz: 28%, eight delegates
Donald Trump: 24%, seven delegates
Marco Rubio: 23%, seven delegates
Ben Carson: 9%, three delegates
Rand Paul, Jeb Bush: one delegate each. Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina, Jim Gilmore, Mike Huckabee, John Kasich and Rick Santorum: no delegates
Democratic vote, 99% reported:
Hillary Clinton: 50%, 22 delegates
Bernie Sanders 50%, 21 delegates
Martin O’Malley, 1%, no delegates
US election: Iowa results map
Her campaign director in Iowa, Matt Paul, said there was “no uncertainty” that the former secretary of state and first lady had beaten Bernie Sanders, a 74-year-old senator from Vermont.
In five precincts the vote was decided by the toss of a coin – all going to Mrs Clinton, according to the Des Moines Register.
“The results tonight are the closest in Iowa Democratic caucus history,” said Iowa’s Democratic Party said with one precinct still to be called there results were “the closest in Iowa Democratic caucus history”.
Mr Sanders said it was a “virtual tie” and before leaving for New Hampshire, which is holding party primaries on Tuesday, Mrs Clinton told her supporters she was “breathing a sigh of relief”.
