USA Elections | Democratic, Republican races tight as 2016 voting begins

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, accompanied by her daughter Chelsea Clinton

Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders hope to translate voter enthusiasm into victories in Iowa caucuses, as Ted Cruz and Hillary Clinton bank on sophisticated get-­out-the vote operations.
The caucuses kick off the 2016 presidential nominating contests, marking a new phase in a tumultuous election that has exposed Americans’ deep frustration with Washington and given rise to candidates few expected to present a serious challenge for their party’s nomination when they first entered the race.
After months of campaigning and more than USD150 million already spent on advertising, the race for supremacy in Iowa is close in both parties. Among Republicans, Trump appears to hold a slim edge over Cruz, a fiery senator from Texas.
Clinton and Sanders entered in a surprisingly tight Democratic race, reviving memories of the former secretary of state’s disappointing showing in Iowa eight years ago.
“Stick with me,” Clinton said as she rallied supporters Sunday. “Stick with a plan. Stick with experience.”
Sanders, the Vermont senator who has been generating big, youthful crowds across the state, urged voters to help him “make history” with a win in Iowa.
In a show of financial strength, Sanders’ campaign announced Sunday it raised $20 million in January alone. While Sanders has a large team in Iowa, his operation got off to a later start, particularly compared with Clinton, who has had staff on the ground in the state for nearly a year.
Iowa’s contest will also offer the first hard evidence of whether Trump can turn the legion of fans drawn to his plainspoken populism into voters. The scope of the billionaire’s organization in Iowa is a mystery, though Trump himself has intensified his campaign schedule during the final sprint, including a pair of rallies yesterday. AP