Winners and losers of the final GOP debate before Iowa

Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis met one-on-one on the debate stage for the first time here Wednesday night, just five days before the Iowa caucuses.

It was a critical encounter for the former United Nations ambassador and the Florida governor, as polls indicate they are locked in a tight battle for second place in the Hawkeye State.

Former President Trump avoided this debate, hosted by CNN, as he had avoided the four prior clashes. He instead took part in a Fox News town hall elsewhere in Des Moines.

Trump leads polls in Iowa by 36 points, according to the average maintained by The Hill/Decision Desk HQ. 

Trump has 54 percent support, way ahead of Haley’s 18 percent. She has recently overtaken DeSantis in the average, but only by 1 point.

Wednesday also brought an unexpected twist in the campaign when former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie suspended his bid for the GOP nomination.