A roundup of the best images from Iowa where Republican and Democratic voters have been playing their part in choosing their parties’ candidates for the US presidency. There was an unexpected triumph for Ted Cruz as the Texas senator pipped Donald Trump, winning 27.7% of the vote compared with Trump’s 24.4%. The Democratic battle was closer with Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders initially too close to call
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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump begins the day as the favourite to win in Iowa. He’s pictured with his wife, Melania, sharing a photograph with a voter at Saint Francis of Assisi church, a caucus site.
Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP
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Helen Liu and her son Chad Wang, both first-time caucus-goers, register as Republicans before the party caucus in precinct 317 at Valley church in West Des Moines.
Photograph: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images
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Ballots are counted after the Republican party caucus in precinct 317.
Photograph: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images
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The names of the main Republican candidates are seen scrawled on slips of paper as precinct secretary Michelle Anderson counts votes for Republican candidates during a caucus in Nevada, Iowa. Trump looks to have plenty of backers.
Photograph: Patrick Semansky/AP
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Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson greets supporters at his campaign’s caucus night rally. Carson takes 9.3% of the vote, making him fourth in the Republican race.
Photograph: Mary Altaffer/AP
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Another Republican hopeful, Marco Rubio, is all smiles while speaking at his caucus night rally in Des Moines. Rubio garners 23.1% of the vote.
Photograph: Paul Sancya/AP
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... meanwhile, Jeb Bush decides to get ahead of the Iowa spotlight by taking his campaign to the Alpine Club in Manchester, New Hampshire – home of the forthcoming ‘first in the nation’ primary. No wonder: he only got 2.8% of the Iowa vote – that’s less than Rand Paul.
Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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Anxious-looking supporters of Trump gather for a post-caucus rally in Des Moines.
Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters
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As the results flood in it becomes clear Cruz has taken a surprising lead over the favourite.
Photograph: Jim Young/Reuters
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Cruz’s fans are ecstatic at the unexpected lead.
Photograph: Charlie Neibergall/AP
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The caucus is eventually called in favour of Cruz, who then takes to the stage to make a victory speech that lasts 37 minutes. ‘Tonight is a victory for courageous conservatives across Iowa and all across this great nation,’ he says. ‘Tonight the state of Iowa has spoken. Iowa has sent notice that the Republican nominee and the next Potus will not be chosen by the media.’
Photograph: Jim Young/Reuters
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Cruz kisses his wife, Heidi, in celebration.
Photograph: Jim Young/Reuters
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Trump addresses his supporters after finishing second.
Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images
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The business mogul puts on a brave front after the defeat.
Photograph: Scott Morgan/Reuters
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Trump exits the stage. He ended with 24.3% of the vote to Cruz’s 27.7%.
Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP
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Workers remove Trump’s podium after his failed bid to win in Iowa.
Photograph: John Taggart/EPA
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The race for the Democratic nominations in Iowa is a much tighter affair. Here, Alan Nelson, a Bernie Sanders caucus chair, speaks to undecided voters at a Democratic party caucus at Jackson township fire station in Keokuk.
Photograph: Michael B Thomas/AFP/Getty Images
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Pete Malmberg, a Bernie Sanders precinct captain, signs in at a home caucus site in Rippey Presidential.
Photograph: ddp USA/REX/Shutterstock
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HRC volunteer and actor Blake Cooper Griffin watches as results are displayed on a television during the caucus night event of the Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in the Olmsted Center at Drake University in Des Moines.
Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images
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Clinton addresses the crowd as the votes are counted.
Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters
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She is joined on stage by her husband, former president Bill Clinton.
Photograph: Adrees Latif/Reuters
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Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders arrives for his caucus night rally in Des Moines. He and Clinton were involved in a virtual tie, with Clinton taking a reported 49.9% of the vote and Sanders 49.6%.
Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP
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