Iowa Caucus: Cruz Victory Deals Setback to Donald Trump

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, powered by a surge of support from evangelical Christians, handily defeated Donald J. Trump in the Iowa caucuses on Monday, throwing into question the depth of support for Mr. Trump’s unconventional candidacy. In the first contest of a campaign that has been more of a populist revolt against the political order than a traditional Republican primary, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida finished a strong third, bolstering his case to consolidate the support of Republicans uneasy about the two top finishers. With 85 percent of precincts reporting, Mr. Cruz had 28 percent of the vote, Mr. Trump 24 percent and Mr. Rubio 23 percent.