WASHINGTON – DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement on the results of the Iowa Caucuses:

“Tonight was a huge success for Democrats, who gathered with their neighbors all across Iowa for a competitive race defined by voters’ enthusiasm and energy to send a strong message: we must keep America moving forward.

“Primary season is officially underway, and based on tonight’s caucuses, it’s clear heading into New Hampshire that the Republican Party lost tonight. The top three Republican finishers in Iowa represent the far right – entirely out of touch with the vast majority of the American people.

“Whether it’s because of Ted Cruz’s history as a government-shutdown ideologue, Marco Rubio’s rise on the back of the Tea Party, or Donald Trump’s deep dive into the mud of offensive rhetoric, the Republican Party of Lincoln and Reagan is unrecognizable.

“Tonight’s caucus results have set the stage for a general election with a clear choice: a Democrat who will energize voters with a substantive message for growing the middle class and expanding opportunity so everyone has a fair shot, or a Republican doom-and-gloom candidate who promises to drag the country backward.”