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Sanders, Buttigieg in virtual Iowa tie with 100 percent of votes called
WASHINGTON, Feb 7, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – US Democratic presidential candidates
Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg were in a virtual tie as results from 100
percent of Iowa precincts were called late Thursday, but no winner declared
in the state’s caucuses after technical problems snarled the process.
Earlier in the day Democratic Party chairman Tom Perez demanded a review
of the results from the state, which has the time-honored role of being the
first in the nation to pick presidential candidates.
According to final results from the Monday caucuses Buttigieg, the 38-
year-old former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, leads with 26.2 percent
followed by Sanders, the 78-year-old self-described democratic socialist,
with 26.1 percent.
However, neither the party nor major US media outlets declared a winner.
“Enough is enough,” Perez said on Twitter earlier in the day. “In order to
assure public confidence in the results, I am calling on the Iowa Democratic
Party to immediately begin a recanvass.”
Perez said it would involve an examination of the results from each caucus
site rather than a full recount.
According to final results, Massachusetts progressive Senator Elizabeth
Warren was in third with 18 percent, followed by former vice president Joe
Biden with 15.8 percent and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar with 12.3
percent.
The technology problems which prevented a complete vote count were founded
on what experts described as a poorly-tested, poorly performing vote
reporting smartphone app.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1016 hrs