Former United States president Donald Trump was off to a good start in his return bid to the White House with a runaway victory in the first voting of the 2024 Republican presidential nominating process in Iowa state on Monday.

With 99 percent of votes counted, Trump had 52,260 votes or 51 percent translating to 20 delegates while rivals Ron DeSantis had 23,420 votes or 21 percent for 8 delegates and Nikki Haley earning 21,085 votes or 19 percent for 7 delegates, according to CBS News.

Around 130,000 Iowa residents braved sub-zero temperature to vote in more than 1,600 voting locaations in the state

The caucuses results cemented Trump’s status as the presumptive Republican standard-bearer to challenge President Joe Biden in November’s election.

There had been questions as to whether Trump might have been hamstrung by his legal problems, as he faces civil and criminal trials in multiple jurisdictions in 2024.

But the Iowa victory demonstrated the 77-year-old’s success in turning his prosecutions into a rallying cry that has galvanized his followers as he takes his momentum into New Hampshire, the next state to nominate, next Tuesday.

The Iowa contest featured some low-polling candidates, too, including biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson.

Ramaswamy, a political newcomer who sought to shake up the 2024 presidential race by challenging more established candidates, announced Monday that he was pulling out and endorsing Trump.

“We are going to suspend this presidential campaign,” Ramaswamy told supporters after he was projected to finish a distant fourth in the Iowa caucuses.

“I called Donald Trump to tell him I congratulate him on his victory, and now going forward he will have my full endorsement for the president.”

Caucuses are also being held by Iowa’s Democrats, along with voting by mail until March, with Biden facing two challengers but no serious threat.

“Looks like Donald Trump just won Iowa. He’s the clear front runner on the other side at this point,” Biden said on X.