Haley won Johnson County by single vote; only county in Iowa not for Trump

CORALVILLE — A Nikki Haley yard sign stabbed into the side of a snow bank at the entrance of one Coralville Republican caucus site Monday served as a sort of omen of what would unfold inside Northwest Junior High and across Johnson County — the only county in the state to go to Haley, topping Donald Trump by a single vote.

Haley eked out a surprise victory in two of three precincts tucked inside the school — and fell to favorite Trump by one vote in the third — as she battled for second place in a statewide race called for Trump just 30 minutes after caucusing started.

But while Trump achieved a dominant 51 percent of the votes — marking the biggest Republican win in the Iowa caucuses since at least 1972 — he was far from dominant in the most populous parts of Johnson County, home to Iowa City and the University of Iowa.

Haley topped Trump there by the slimmest of margins, earning 1,271 votes to his 1,270. Across the county, Haley won 33 of 65 precincts — including all but five of Iowa City’s 27 precincts.

Trump had more dominant performances in North Liberty, taking six of eight precincts, and in more rural parts of the county — like Swisher, Sheuyville, Oxford, Solon, Washington, and Hills, for example.

And while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tallied some votes in each, he only won one Johnson County site, in North Liberty.

“He made the economy better, we’re both small business owners,” Charlie Ruess, 45, said about why he braved the cold with his family — including two young kids and wife Angela Ruess, 39 — to support Trump in his third bid for the White House.

“He supports life, God and country, law and order,” Ruess said, reporting his support since 2016 for Trump has grown stronger “just because of the persecution against him, that they're trying to throw him out, trying to weaponize his opportunity to run again, which emboldens us to back him more because of everything that he’s going through.”

But many of the 200-plus who showed up in snow pants and tuft-tipped winter hats at that Coralville site were same-day Republican registrants, including several who came out specifically to back Haley — who won those precincts with 70 votes to Trump’s 65.

“I just think, as a country, we're in a really important time in our history and I’m going to try to do what I can to make a difference,” Cody Chase, 34, told The Gazette about why he flew up from Virginia this week to knock on doors in support of Haley. “Obviously Trump has a lot of support. But if you look at the polls, she has the best bet to beat Biden.”

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Outside of Johnson County, Trump blasted his competition by hundreds if not more than 1,000, like in Linn, Black Hawk, Polk, and Scott counties.

Longtime Republican Doug Curtiss, 64, of Coralville, said his support for Trump was and remains cemented — having even caucused for him eight years ago, when Ted Cruz won the state’s first-in-the-nation caucus.

“I like his positions on the border, taxes. I like his position on regulation, deregulation,” Curtiss said. "I like that he's an outsider, and I like that he's not beholden to anybody. I think he's a straight shooter. That’s important.“

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Trump’s statewide domination snagged him 56,260 votes from supporters like Lisa Bermel, 53, of Cedar Rapids — who sported a bedazzled Trump denim hat for her first time caucusing.

“He ran our country wonderfully,” Bermel said. “We’ve really gone downhill and he can bring us back up. He’s proven it to us before.”

That was a similar sentiment felt by James Junkins, 49, of Cedar Rapids, who caucused for Trump because, "He’s the only person I can trust that he’ll do what he says he’s going to do.”

“Every election cycle, (candidates) say they’re going to change this, change that — they tell us what we want to hear,” Junkins said. “But they (can’t withstand) the highest bidder when they get to Washington, D.C.”

David DeLayo, 40, of Marion, though called Haley the "adult in the room" — characterizing her as a realistic and balanced candidate, in his eyes.

"I honestly think Donald Trump is a threat to our democracy,“ Army veteran Delayo said. ”I think he would change the Constitution. I took an oath to defend that Constitution, so I thought it was my duty to come out here and show my support for someone who I think will defend the Constitution."

DeSantis in the end snagged the second-place spot from Haley — earning 21 percent of the votes to her 19 percent — thanks to help from folks like first-time caucusgoer Toni Overton at the Salvation Army in northwest Cedar Rapids.

Finding an alternative to former President Donald Trump was a priority for Overton, pulling her out into the arctic air to participate in her inaugural caucus. She landed on DeSantis as her candidate of choice after Haley made comments about New Hampshire fixing how “Iowa votes.”

Overton also liked DeSantis' handling on issues in Florida, especially during COVID.

“Look who he stood up to,” she said, conceding her opinion that Trump did “an amazing job.” But, Overton said, she's tired of “the whining and disrespectful talk.”

What mattered most to Mary Ernzen, 60, of Marion, in her caucus support Monday was her every day experiences. Under Trump, she said, groceries cost less. Gas today is more expensive.

“Trump,” she said without hesitation when asked who she was supporting. “He's the only one who can prevent World War III."

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Elijah Decious and Brittney J. Miller contributed to this report.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com