ROMNEY CLAIMS SLIGHT LEAD IN IOWA CAUCUS
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger
Photographer: George Whylie
Videographer: Maxine Nolan
Photos Courtesy of A/P, Getty Images
The race is on! As the Republican candidates began their fight to the finish, the results are in for the Iowa Caucus. Front runner Mitt Romney barely beat out Rick Santorum but did so by a mere 8 points in order to become the leader in this primary caucus.
Santorum will have to keep the momentum going as they head to New Hampshire, a state very close to Romney’s home state of Massachusetts where he served as Governor. This will possibly give him more of an edge in the polls. Santorum will sell himself as the more conservative candidate in this race and one with a blue-collar background that voters will easily be able to relate to. However, he will have to contend with Romney and his campaign accusations that Santorum is a Washington insider with no business experience, a necessary skill to take over the position of President of the United States.
Surprisingly, Ron Paul inched up to third place in Iowa with more of the Independent voters backing him as well as those voters coming to the polls for the very first time. Rick Perry and Michelle Bachman came in with a distant 4th and 5th place finish with Jon Huntsman choosing not to compete in Iowa but instead focusing on New Hampshire. Perry has announced he is heading back to Texas to assess his run. Today, Michelle Bachman decided to drop out of the race due to her poor finish in Iowa.
This is the closest-ever margin of victory in a Republican Presidential contest. Romney had 30,015 votes and Santorum had 30,007 votes.
As the candidates head on to New Hampshire for the next debate as well as that state’s primary election next Tuesday, word is spreading that Senator John McCain will be endorsing Romney and announcing it in New Hampshire.
After New Hampshire, it will be on to South Carolina on January 21st and then on to Florida for the next primary.
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