WASHINGTON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Four of the five senators running for their party's presidential nomination voted to put a hard cap on U.S. crop subsidies, but the proposal was defeated on Thursday.

Democrats Joe Biden of Delaware, Hillary Clinton of New York, Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Barack Obama of Illinois voted for the $250,000-a-year limit on subsidies. The fifth candidate, Republican John McCain of Arizona, did not vote.

All five supported the cap, either in campaign statements or in past Senate votes. Dodd, Obama and McCain were sponsors of the "hard" cap.

Voters in Iowa, the No. 1 corn and soybean state, will meet in neighborhood meetings on Jan. 3 for the first of the state-by-state contests to determine the Republican and Democratic nominees for the Nov. 4 presidential election. (Reporting by Charles Abbott; editing by Jim Marshall)

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