NEW YORK — New results from the Iowa Democratic caucuses show Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders nearly tied, with almost all of the votes counted.
But the race remained too early to call early Thursday, with 97% of precincts reporting.
Iowa officials attributed their delay in results for Monday’s caucuses to technical problems. The chaos surrounding the reporting breakdown has undermined the impact of Iowa’s election, which typically rewards winners with a surge of momentum heading into subsequent primary contests.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former Vice President Joe Biden and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar are still trailing.
Much of the political world has already shifted its attention to next-up New Hampshire, which holds the first primary election in the Democrats’ 2020 nomination fight on Tuesday.
The two early leaders — Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Vermont Sen. Sanders — are separated by 40 years in age and conflicting ideology.
Sanders, a 78-year-old self-described democratic socialist, has been a progressive powerhouse for decades. Buttigieg, a 38-year-old former municipal official, represents the more moderate wing of the Democratic Party. Buttigieg is also the first openly gay candidate to earn presidential primary delegates.
Wednesday’s updated results show Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former Vice President Joe Biden and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar trailing.
The Democrats’ primary fight intensified in New Hampshire on Wednesday as Biden took aim at both Iowa front-runners.
The former vice president suggested that Sanders was unelectable and would hurt other Democrats on the ballot this fall should he represent the party in the general election.
Biden also charged that it would be “a risk” to nominate Buttigieg because he hasn’t been elected to a higher office than South Bend mayor.
Speaking at a candidate forum in New Hampshire, Buttigieg was focused on the issues.
He said a shift in emotion from “guilt and doom” to pride is needed to propel the nation forward on climate change.
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