THE IOWA REPUBLICAN Party pronounced Mitt Romney the winner of the state’s caucuses Tuesday night by a margin of just eight votes over Rick Santorum, with Romney receiving 30,015 votes to Santorum’s 30,007.
With Ron Paul coming in a not too distant third, the caucuses did not deliver a clean answer to what type of candidate Republicans intend to rally behind to try to defeat President Obama and win back the White House.
Once at risk of finishing last in the caucuses, Santorum had a meteoric rise in the final weeks leading up to Tuesday’s vote.
Appealing to social conservatives and evangelicals, Santorum staked his entire campaign on Iowa and had visited all 99 counties in the state by November.
He will face a difficult challenge in New Hampshire, where he has spent little time campaigning.
Romney had gained confidence recently as he saw his Iowa poll numbers rise and decided to compete more aggressively in the state.
He will now head to New Hampshire, where he has a strong hold in the polls.
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