Michele Bachmann has been named the winner of the Iowa straw poll, taking 4,823 votes out of nearly 17,000 cast. Ron Paul was a close runner-up, taking 4,671 votes and trailing Bachmann by less than 200 ballots. In a distant third place was former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who took 2,293 votes after investing heavily in the event.
The rest of the lineup: Rick Santorum – 1,657 votes; Herman Cain – 1,456 votes; Rick Perry – 718 votes; Mitt Romney – 567 votes; Newt Gingrich – 385 votes, Jon Huntsman – 69 votes; Thaddeus McCotter – 35 votes.
Romney, Huntsman and Gingrich were listed on the ballot, but did not contest the poll. Perry’s sixth place finish came despite not being listed on the ballot; his votes came through write-ins, since the Texas governor only announced his campaign this weekend.
