On Saturday, 17,000 people voted in the Iowa straw poll.
The poll is put on by Iowa republicans in the town of Ames and is considered one of the first indicators of election frontrunners for the Republican nomination in the Presidential election.
Here is a look at the major candidates and how they fared in the poll.
Michele Bachmann: Representative from Minnesota and creator of the Tea Party Caucus, Bachmann won the poll with 28.6 percent of the votes.
Her website, www.michelebachmann.com, describes her as having “a reputation as a ‘principled reformer’ who stays true to her conservative beliefs while pushing for real reform of the broken ways of Washington.”
After her victory, Bachmann said “We just sent a message that Obama will be a one-term president,” while hailing her victory as a “down payment on taking our country back.”
Ron Paul: Representative from Texas and father of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Paul came in second with 27.7 percent of the votes.
After the poll, Paul’s campaign chairman Jesse Benton pointed out on Paul’s website www.ronpaul2012.com: “Today, Ron Paul has emerged as a top tier candidate and is a serious contender to win the Republican nomination and the Presidency.”
CNN’s Jack Cafferty said about Paul: “Yes, Ron Paul is a conservative. But he’s not one of those who hits you over the head with his bible. And looking at the current batch of republican wanna-bees, he stands out as maybe the only adult in the room.”
Mitt Romney: Former Massachusetts governor Romney was initially considered the forerunner before the poll but only received 3.4 percent of the votes, leading many to question how viable of a candidate he is.
This is after 2007, when Romney won the straw poll but ultimately lost the nomination. His website, www.mittromney.com, said “Mitt Romney believes in America. He believes that liberty, opportunity, and free enterprise have led to prosperity and strength before and will do so again. America, however, must take decisive action to roll back the misguided policies of the last two years, empower our citizens, and restore the foundations of our nation’s strength.”
Rick Perry: Current Texas governor Perry formally announced his bid for the Republican nomination on the same day of the straw poll.
Perry wasn’t officially in the poll but still received 4.3 percent of the votes in write-ins, beating Romney by almost a full percent. Perry is mostly running on his economic record in Texas.
According to his website, www.rickperry.org, “Since June 2009, more than 40 percent of the net new jobs created in America have been created in Texas, and today, the Lone Star State is a magnet for corporate relocations. For nine straight years, Texas has led the nation in exports to foreign countries among the 50 states…With a strong record of job creation, restrained spending and tax cuts, Rick Perry is a committed conservative with the right vision for creating opportunity and prosperity.”
Other candidates who participated were Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Thaddeus McCotter, and Tim Pawlenty—who came in third with 13.6 percent of the vote and dropped out of the presidential race the next day.
While the straw poll is an indicator of the viability of Republican candidates, it in no way can definitely pick who will get the nomination or become president.
