WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The 2024 U.S. presidential primary kicked off on Monday night as Iowans prepared to caucus for their Republican presidential candidate in extreme cold weather.
Republican voters are caucusing in school gyms, churches, and community centers across Iowa, a Midwestern state, as record-low temperatures are gripping the Hawkeye State and have caused concerns about turnout.
"Today is turning out to be the coldest Iowa caucus day in history, dating back to 1972," the National Weather Service office in Des Moines, Iowa, wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The frigid conditions have affected the presidential campaign in Iowa, with several stops canceled ahead of Monday's caucuses.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who seeks to return to the White House, is leading by a wide margin in national and Iowa polls of potential Republican voters.
Other Republican presidential contenders include former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. ■
