The Iowa caucuses are approaching, and the campaigning and attacks have been relentless. Candidates are running out of time to catch Donald J. Trump, who is leading in national polls and aiming for victory on Jan. 15 in Iowa. His rivals, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, are trying to catch up, with DeSantis focusing on Iowa to present himself as the main opposition to Trump, and Haley seeking to defeat DeSantis so she can emerge as the singular Trump alternative when the calendar moves to New Hampshire and South Carolina.

The competition between the two, along with the spending on ads and door knocking operations, is a heated affair and predictions for the outcome of the caucuses are varied. Trump’s team has expressed confidence in his lead, while DeSantis and Haley’s campaigns are making big investments in television ads and door-knocking efforts. The debates planned before the caucuses and Never Back Down, the pro-DeSantis super PAC’s effort, may shake the dynamics before the primary day. Campaign officials and Republican activists alike have expressed varying levels of confidence in each candidate’s organization and outlook in the state.