WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican caucus-goers who said they want a candidate who shares their values propelled Texas Sen. Ted Cruz to victory in Iowa, according to entrance poll interviews of those arriving at caucus sites.
Two-thirds of caucus-goers were born-again Christians, and Cruz was favored over billionaire businessman Donald Trump and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio among that group, according to the survey conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks.
On the Democratic side, the race between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was tight, with a distinct age gap between their supporters.
Here’s a closer look at the attitudes of the electorate:
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VALUES COUNT
More than 4 in 10 Republican caucus-goers said the candidate quality that mattered most to their vote was that the candidate shares their values. Among those who said so Cruz on the support of more than 3 in 10, versus just 2 in 10 for Trump or Rubio.
Trump edged out Cruz to gain the support of the 2 in 10 wanting a candidate who can bring needed change, while Rubio was the top choice of the 2 in 10 who said they want a candidate who can in in November.
Two-thirds of those who wanted a candidate who “tells it like it is” supported Trump, but that quality lagged behind the others as the most desirable.
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AGE GAP
More than 8 in 10 Democratic caucus-goers under 30 came to support Sanders, as did 6 in 10 of those between 30 and 44. But nearly 6 in 10 caucus-goers between 45 and 64 and 7 in 10 of those 65 and over came to support Clinton.
Sanders worked hard to appeal to young caucus-goers with his populist campaign focused on issues including income inequality and affordable college.
Clinton won strong support among those who wanted a candidate who could beat the Republican nominee and who had experience, while Sanders was supported by those who wanting a candidate who is honest or cares about people like them.
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VOTER DISCONTENT
Four in 10 Republicans said they are angry and half say they’re dissatisfied with the federal government. Angry caucus-goers were split Trump and Cruz as their top candidate.
Of the 5 in 10 who said they wanted a candidate from outside the political establishment, Trump was supported by nearly half. Rubio edged out Cruz as the top choice of those who said they want someone with political experience.
Trump and Cruz both have been trying to tap into voter discontent on the campaign trail.
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BIGGEST ISSUES
Government spending was the top issue for just over 3 in 10 Republicans, followed closely by the economy and terrorism. Just over 1 in 10 said they cared most about immigration.
Among those who say immigration most important, more than 4 in 10 supported Trump, but just over 1 in 10 said that was the most important issue.
A third of Democratic caucus-goers said the economy is the top issue facing the nation, while about the same proportion chose health care and slightly fewer said income inequality. Less than one in 10 say terrorism is the top issue.
More than half of Democratic caucus-goers want a candidate who will continue President Barack Obama’s policies.
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VOTER SUPPORT
Cruz was the top choice among very conservative caucus-goers, while Trump was the top choice of moderates. Those who said they were somewhat conservative split between Rubio and Trump, followed by Cruz.
Forty-five percent of GOP voters said they decided on a candidate in the last week, and they broke for Cruz and Rubio over Trump.
On the other side, caucus attendees who identify as Democrats were more likely to support Clinton, while 7 in 10 independents favored Sanders.
Clinton was favored by moderates and Sanders by those who said they are very liberal, while those who were somewhat liberal were split between the two.
Women were more likely to support Clinton, while men were more likely to support Sanders.
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FIRST TIMERS
Over 4 in 10 Democrats say they’re first-time caucus attendees, about the same proportion who said so in 2008. Six in 10 of first-timers favored Sanders , while 6 in 10 previous caucus attendees favored Clinton.
Similarly, more than 4 in 10 GOP caucus-goers say they have not attended a caucus previously. Three in 10 first-timers favored Trump, while 3 in 10 who had attended a previous caucus supported Cruz.
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The survey was conducted for AP and the television networks by Edison Research as voters arrived at 40 randomly selected sites for Democratic and Republican caucuses in Iowa. The survey includes preliminary results from interviews with 1,660 Democratic caucus-goers and 1,794 Republican caucus-goers. The survey had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points for both Democrats and Republicans, with higher margins of error for subgroups.
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