DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The latest on developments in Monday's Iowa caucuses, the opening contest in the 2016 race for the White House (all local times):
9:27 p.m.
Ted Cruz has come out on top in the leadoff Republican presidential caucuses in Iowa, pushing aside Donald Trump and emerging from the pack of candidates.
9 p.m.
Democrat Martin O'Malley has suspended his presidential campaign.
The former Maryland governor and Baltimore mayor never gained traction against rivals Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
Word about O'Malley's move comes from people familiar with his decision. They weren't authorized to discuss it publicly and requested anonymity.
O'Malley campaigned as a can-do chief executive who pushed through key parts of the Democratic agenda in Maryland. They included gun control, support for gay marriage and an increase in the minimum wage.
But O'Malley struggled to raise money and was polling in the single-digits for months despite campaigning actively in Iowa and New Hampshire.
-Associated Press writers Ken Thomas and Catherine Lucey contributed to this report.
___
8:50 p.m.
Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz is the top choice among very conservative caucus-goers in Iowa, while Donald Trump is No. 1 among moderates.
That's according to entrance poll interviews among those arriving at caucus sites conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks.
Those who say they're somewhat conservative are split between Marco Rubio and Trump.
Half of GOP caucus-goers say they prefer a candidate from outside the political establishment, while 4 in 10 say they prefer someone with political experience.
___
8:35 p.m.
The crowd has come alive for Marco Rubio at a concert hall that's hosting caucuses for two Iowa precincts outside Des Moines.
The Florida senator tells caucus-goers that he knows they might have come out to support other candidates in the Republican race. But he also says that he believes "with all my heart I can unite this party."
___
8:25 p.m.
Ben Carson plans to trade the cold of Iowa for the warmer Florida for a few days.
A campaign spokesman says the Republican presidential candidate is heading home to West Palm Beach after the Iowa caucuses.
Carson plans to speak at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Thursday and then will head to New Hampshire.
The plan is to leave Iowa on Monday night in hopes of getting ahead of a winter storm.
"Not standing down" - that's what spokesman Jason Osborne posted on Carson's twitter feed.
___
8:15 p.m.
Donald Trump's voice is hoarse but he still has lots to say.
He's telling 2,000 Republicans in suburban Des Moines, Iowa, that "we're going to win again" and take back the country.
Trump is criticizing the Obama administration's foreign and trade policy, promising to command respect for the United States in the world.
Trump says his mission in the presidential race is to "make America great again."
___
8:05 p.m.
Early arrivals at Iowa's Democratic caucus sites are split among health care, the economy and income inequality as the top issue facing the country.
That's according to preliminary results of an entrance poll at caucus locations.
Almost 3 in 10 say experience is the most important quality in deciding which candidate to back. What's next? Honesty and someone who cares about people like them.
Six in 10 say the next president should continue President Barack Obama's policies.
The survey was conducted for The Associated Press and the television networks by Edison Research as voters arrived at 40 randomly selected sites for Democratic caucuses in Iowa.
___
7:55 p.m.
Republican or Democrat - Jeb Bush is criticizing them all.
President Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump. Ted Cruz. Marco Rubio.
Bush tells supporters in New Hampshire that Obama is "a failed president." And the former Florida governor is hitting Trump - though not by name - for "insulting" his way toward the presidency.
The latest statewide polls in New Hampshire show Bush in a fight for second place. Trump holds a commanding lead.
___
7:45 p.m.
Here's what's at stake on the delegate front in the Iowa caucuses.
The Democrats have 44 delegates at stake and the Republicans have 30. That's just a small sliver of what it will take to win each party's nomination.
For Democrats, it will take 2,382 delegates to win the nomination. For Republicans, it will take 1,237.
Hillary Clinton starts off with a big lead because of endorsements by Democratic superdelegates. They're the party leaders who can support the candidate of their choice.
Clinton has 362 endorsements to just eight for Bernie Sanders. Martin O'Malley has two.
Republicans don't have nearly as many superdelegates.
___
7:37 p.m.
Let the caucusing begin.
On a winter night, Iowans are meeting in party caucuses and express their preferences for the Democratic and Republican candidates in the race for the 2016 nominations.
At stake is crucial early momentum in the campaign. For some candidates, the future of their White House hopes may lie in the balance.
___
7:10 p.m.
Early arrivals at Iowa's Republican caucus sites are deeply unhappy with how the federal government is working.
That's according to preliminary results of an entrance poll of those arriving at caucus locations.
Four in 10 say they're angry. One-half say they're dissatisfied.
Almost 4 in 10 say the most important quality in a candidate is someone who shares their values.
Also, 2 in 10 want someone who can bring needed change.
The survey was conducted for The Associated Press and the television networks by Edison Research as voters arrived at 40 randomly selected sites for Democratic and Republican caucuses in Iowa.
___
7 p.m.
The Republican race in Iowa seems to be a three-way contest among Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.
That's according to entrance poll interviews with early arrivals to caucus sites conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks.
On the Democratic side, the race appears tight between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
___
5:50 p.m.
For the election night party in Iowa, Ted Cruz's campaign has booked a country music band that bills itself as having "blue collar roots and a fun attitude.'
Red, white and blue banners with Cruz's campaign slogans "Trusted" and "Cruzin' to Victory" are hanging from the ceiling of the Elwell Family Food Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
But most of the attention will be focused on two large video screens that will show results from the Iowa caucuses.
___
5:20 p.m.
Even before Iowa's caucuses get underway, Donald Trump is predicting "a tremendous victory."
That's his message to supporters in a hotel ballroom in Cedar Rapids.
Trump is banking on a stronger-than-usual turnout. Polling shows many potential caucus-goers are new to the process.
Some of Trump's children plan to attend caucuses around the state and promote their dad's candidacy.
___
5:06 p.m.
Chris Christie says he's ready to be president and that Barack Obama wasn't in 2008.
Christie's message to New Hampshire voters: Don't put another first-term senator in the White House.
It's a knock by the New Jersey governor on two of the Republicans in the race - freshmen Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida.
Christie says they've never managed anything - and running the country isn't something they're up to.
Obama was a first-term senator from Illinois when he beat Republican John McCain in 2008.
___
4:37 p.m.
The day began for Chris Christie in Iowa and ended in New Hampshire.
The Iowa caucuses were still hours away and Christie already was back in New Hampshire, appealing for support in the state's primary Feb. 9.
The New Jersey governor has focused much of his campaigning in New Hampshire and hopes for a strong showing.
___
2:48 p.m.
The National Weather Service says temperatures in Iowa are expected to remain above freezing when hundreds of thousands of people gather Monday night for the caucuses.
It's good news for presidential candidates who've been begging supporters to attend caucuses.
Look for snow to move in late at night, with up to a foot forecast. That could complicate the getaway plans of candidates and others set to head to New Hampshire for the Feb. 9 primary.
(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
2/1/2016 10:05:27 PM (GMT -5:00)
