Goldwater starts with a nail-biting win in Iowa before a resounding victory in New Hampshire. The Republican establishment had initially planned on supporting the more mainstream
RINO Tom, but libertarian leaning voters came out in droves to support Goldwater. Populist demagogue
Santander won an upset victory in South Carolina, showing that this primary would be a hotly contested one.
Goldwater went on to sweep the West and the the Northeast. While
Higgs took pockets in the Plains and Great Lakes, RINO Tom was attempting to hold onto the last vestiges of the eastern establishment, performing very well among white collar voters in lower New England. Meanwhile, Santander had turned the Old Confederacy into his stronghold and was able to finish second in the popular vote with a decent number of delegates. Unfortunately, Cathcon with a seemingly schizophrenic set of policies, was unable to capture a single state.
Goldwater moves onto the convention with a plurality of delegates. Time for him to name his running mate and prepare for the general election!