Romney ekes out a win in Iowa

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January 4th, 2012

Omaha, NE – Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won the Iowa caucuses with a slim margin of just eight votes early Wednesday. Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum surged into second place, with Texas Congressman Ron Paul taking third. For the full results, click here.

Caucus sites were busy across the state, with over 122,000 people turning up to vote.

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At Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, hundreds of people turned out to cast their ballots. Seated around tables in a large auditorium, the voters wrote down their candidates on a slip of paper and handed them in for a count. At this polling site, it was all over in about an hour. But it quickly became clear it would take a lot longer to sort out the numbers. Over 122,000 people participated in the caucuses across the state, and the race for the lead was tight.

Tallying up the votes in Council Bluffs, IA. (Photo by Robyn Wisch)

Kelsey Haskins, 24, said she came out to caucus for Texas Congressman Ron Paul. “Because he’s a strict constitutionalist,” she said. “And that’s why I’m so passionate.”

“I feel like our country has strayed very far from our constitution,” she said. “And it seems every day more of our personal liberties get taken away.”

Haskins said she’s seen a lot of young people come out to vote. And much of that support has gone to Paul, who made a strong showing in the race.

Paul won a few of the precincts in this polling site, as did former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney – and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. Santorum rode a sudden wave of support in the final days leading up to the caucus. Just a few weeks ago, he was in the single digits. Much of his support comes from Christian voters who find his socially conservative message appealing.

Announcing the results of the votes in this Council Bluffs precinct. (Photo by Robyn Wisch)

Norman Springer said he voted for Santorum because he stands against abortion and gay marriage. Springer said the country needs a strong person to stand up to President Obama and lead the country.

“Someone with better morals,” he said. “And someone who can guide this country back to where it used to be. We’ve drifted.”

But no matter who wins the nomination – or the presidency, Springer said, they’ll have a tough job tackling the main issue that’s propelled this campaign: the lackluster economy. The race to see who’ll end up taking on that difficult job will continue, as the candidates turn their sights to the second voter test: New Hampshire.

One Response

  1. Vanessa Bennett says:

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