GUEST COLUMN: Iowa by the Numbers: Adam Tiouririne Breaks Down the Republican Debate on Bloomberg Politics

Adam Tiouririne is a regular contributor for Bloomberg Politics.

Barbs flew in the first debate of 2016 as candidates seek momentum going into voting season.

Deep divisions in the Republican Party were visible in Tuesday’s prime-time presidential debate ahead of kick-off voting in Iowa on Feb. 1. National front-runner Donald Trump sparred with leading rival Ted Cruz and defended his perch by attacking more candidates than anyone else. Meanwhile, the Texas senator’s strong poll numbers made him the prime target, with nine broad attacks leveled against him by either Trump or Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who vigorously questioned Cruz’s conservative credentials.

More analysis – including a breakdown on Trump vs. Cruz, Cruz vs. Rubio, Rubio vs. Christie, and Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush – is available in the full article online at BloombergPolitics.com.