USA: As first in state-by-state race to oppose President Obama wraps up, libertarian Ron Paul is in a close third place; Texas Gov. Perry to review options

Record ID: 346453

  • Title: USA: As first in state-by-state race to oppose President Obama wraps up, libertarian Ron Paul is in a close third place; Texas Gov. Perry to review options
  • Date: 5th January 2012
  • Summary: DES MOINES, IOWA, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 4, 2011) (REUTERS) FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY AND REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT, MITT ROMNEY COMING ON STAGE
  • Embargoed: 20th January 2012 12:00
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  • Location: Usa, Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVADOAMH37JE0VNSK0JTEHHH5RTN
  • Story Text: Republican presidential contenders Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney were effectively tied in the party's first nominating contest in Iowa on Tuesday(January 3), establishing Romney as the party's most likely challenger to Democratic President Barack Obama.
    With 98 percent of precincts reporting the race was too close to call. Both candidates were tied at 25 percent and Ron Paul, a Texas congressman, was set to claim third place with 21 percent of the vote.
    Iowa is better known for narrowing the field than picking a future president, and at least one candidate, Texas Governor Rick Perry, indicated his presidential bid may be over.
    "I've decided to return to Texas, assess the results of tonight's caucus, determine whether there is a path forward for myself in this race," Texas Governor Rick Perry said after a disappointing fifth place finish.
    With deep reserves of cash and a strong campaign infrastructure, Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, will emerge from Iowa in a much stronger position than his rivals even though he faces continued mistrust from conservatives.
    A favorite of the party's business wing, Romney holds a commanding lead in the next nominating contest in New Hampshire in one week and has the resources to compete in bigger states like Florida at the end of the month.
    Santorum vaulted from the back of the pack to emerge as the latest conservative favorite in a race that has been marked by volatility. Campaigning in all Iowa 99 counties, he emphasized his seven home-schooled children and opposition to gay marriage in a bid to win the state's large bloc of Christian conservatives.
    "Game on!" the former Pennsylvania senator told supporters.
    Santorum staked his campaign on a strong showing in Iowa but with little cash and a bare-bones campaign operation, he could have difficulty competing in other states.
    Conventional wisdom holds that there are three tickets out of the state, though John McCain was able to overcome a fourth-place finish in 2008 to win the Republican nomination.
    Most of the candidates have topped opinion polls at one point in a race and many voters said they were undecided even as the caucuses got under way.
    Sparsely populated Iowa only yields 28 delegates of the 1,143 needed to lock up the Republican presidential nomination, and those delegates aren't actually awarded for months after Tuesday's caucuses.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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