Ted Cruz made it look easy Monday night, beating Donald Trump — who dominated the news and led almost every poll since summer — by almost 5,000 votes.

Cruz took the victory with 27.67 percent — more than 50,000 votes. Fellow presidential hopeful Donald Trump took second place in the race with 24.3 percent, while U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., was third with 23.1 percent overall.

News organizations called the race for Republicans shortly before 9:30 p.m.

Cruz spoke to a crowd after the announcement in the Elwell Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, stating that Monday “was a victory” not only for conservatives in Iowa, but across the nation.

With over 50,000 voters choosing Cruz, the candidate stated, and that Iowa has sent notice that the Republican nomination “will not be chosen” by the media, the “Washington establishment,” or the lobbyists, “but will be chosen by the utmost powerful force where sovereignty resides in this nation, by we the people.”

Cruz credited his victory to his supporters and volunteers for his campaign, citing 120,000 volunteers in Iowa and more than 200,000 across the country, as well as “an average contribution of $67 dollars, that is the power of the grassroots.”

“From day one, this campaign has been a movement for millions of Americans across this country to organize, to rally, to come together,” Cruz said. “Whatever Washington says they cannot keep the people down.”

Cruz also thanked his family for their support, especially his father, a Cuban immigrant who came to the United States “who has lived the dream.”

The senator from Texas went on to talk about his plans for the presidency if he would be elected, which include repealing Obamacare and securing borders. He also stated he was the candidate who “support[s] life and marriage and religious liberty” and will “defend the Second Amendment.”

Cruz went on to talk about terrorism, saying the United States needs a commander in chief “who will fulfill the most solemn commandment to keep our nation safe” and “who will call it by its name — radical Islam.”

“If I am elected president, every militant on the face of the planet will know if you go and join ISIS … you are signing your death warrant,” Cruz proclaimed, to a huge applause from the crowd.

Cruz also said he and his supporters have risen together to say “we are going to preserve this nation for our children.”

“If American people stand together and say ‘we want our country back,’ there is no force in Washington that can stand against the American people, that can stand against the grass roots,” Cruz said. “We are going to do this together.”

Cruz also congratulated the other Republican hopefuls in his speech, stating the Republican party “is so blessed to have talented candidates.”

The Cruz victory may bring up chatter about the role renewable fuels and ethanol play in the race — something pundits have said is an important issue among Iowans. Cruz has voiced support for phasing out the Renewable Fuel Standard, which prompted Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad to say he wanted to see Cruz “defeated.”

Mack Shelley, university professor of political science, said the win may be a dig at Branstad, who has taken heat around the state for things like Medicaid privatization and education funding. 

Despite his second place finish after leading most Iowa and national polls, Trump gave a short speech at Sheraton Hotel in West Des Moines, saying he “absolutely loves the people of Iowa,” was “honored” to come in second and congratulated Cruz on the victory.

At the time of Trump’s speech around 9:45 p.m., Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were neck in neck for the Democratic victory; Clinton was at 48.9 percent and Sanders at 49.6 percent.

“I don’t know who’s gonna win between Bernie and Hillary …,” Trump said. “We will go on to get the Republican nomination, and we will move on to easily beat Hillary or Bernie or whoever the hell is up there”

Shelley said the results do not help Trump leading up to New Hampshire’s primary next week.

“He didn’t give a concession speech,” Shelley said. “But his speech was way more subdued than you usually see from him.”

Rubio, who completed the Iowa Caucus in third place, said he was pleased with the results and has his sights set on the general election in the coming months.

“For months they told us we had no chance,” Rubio said. “For months they told us that we offered too much optimism in a time of anger that we had no chance. For months they told us that because we didn’t have the right endorsements or the right connections, that we have no chance.”

The senator from Florida said he was “grateful” to Iowans, who “made a huge difference” in his campaign in Iowa. Like Trump, he also stated he would defeat whoever earned the Democratic nomination and “grow the conservative movement.”

“This is not a time for waiting,” Rubio stated. “Everything that makes this nation great now hangs in the balance.”

The Daily’s reporters Alex Hanson and Michalea Ramm contributed from Ames, Mitch Anderson from West Des Moines and Travis Charlson and Rakiah Bonjour from Des Moines.