And the winners are……..

GOP….Ted Cruz

Dems….at this hour ….who knows?

While the GOP ponders the implications of Ted Cruz’s victory in Iowa, all the Democrats can say for certain is that Martin O’Malley isn’t their winner. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are locked in a dead heat with more than 99% of precincts counted, and Iowa Democratic Party officials say they are trying to track down results from the few precincts still outstanding, the AP reports. The result was so close in some precincts that the awarding of delegates was decided by a coin toss, reports the Des Moines Register, which notes that the Clinton campaign won all five coin tosses.

When he spoke to supporters Monday night, Sanders described the “virtual tie” as a major achievement, the Register reports. “I think the people of Iowa have sent a very profound message to the political establishment, to the economic establishment and, by the way, to the media establishment,” he said. Clinton also tried to portray the result as a victory the New York Times reports. “As I stand here tonight breathing a big sigh of relief—thank you, Iowa,” she told supporters. “I am excited about really getting into the debate with Senator Sanders about the best way forward to fight for us and America.”

Who ever finally wins…….on to New Hampshire……

Oh by the way……now there are only TWO……for the Dems and the GOP loses another wannabe…….

Martin O’Malley, running a distant third in a tight Democratic race and having collected zero delegates and less than 1% of the vote in Iowa, is the first casualty as the nation casts its first votes in the 2016 presidential election, report the AP and Talking Points Memo. O’Malley’s exit was followed quickly on the Republican side by Mike Huckabee, who announced via Twitter that he was leaving the race, eight years after he won the Iowa caucuses, reports Politico. “I am officially suspending my campaign,” he tweeted. “Thank you for all your loyal support.” Huckabee was showing less than 2% of the vote Monday evening.

O’Malley’s candidacy likewise never took hold; it emerged earlier Thursday that the former Maryland governor took out a $500,000 loan in December to keep his campaign afloat, reports the Washington Post. And while speculation often centered around O’Malley’s chances as a vice presidential candidate or Cabinet member, FiveThirtyEight notes that with his mediocre polling in even his home state of Maryland, his chances of being tapped for a loftier position are unlikely.

Is it over yet?

Maybe at 0240 hes NBC claiming Clinton winner…..