U.S. presidential aspirant Michele Bachmann wins early test poll
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Xinhua News Agency, August 14, 2011
U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann on Saturday won the Iowa straw poll, an early test of strength for Republican candidates.
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| Republican presidential candidate and Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann speaks during a town hall meeting in Indianola, Iowa August 12, 2011. |
Bachmann, the Congresswoman from Minnesota with Iowa roots, won the poll with 4,823 votes, followed by U.S. Representative Ron Paul from Texas, who got 4,671 votes. Tim Pawlenty, a former Minnesota Governor, got 2,293 votes. In all, 16,892 people voted in the poll.
The Iowa straw poll, held on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, is an early test of strength for Republican presidential hopefuls. The candidates who involved themselves in the process usually have supporters transported by bus to the poll, and pay for their 30-dollar a head entrance fee and provide for their food and entertainment. Republican front runner Mitt Romney didn't get involved in the poll, but still got 567 votes.
However, Rick Perry, the Texas Governor who just announced his candidacy earlier in the day, did even better with 718 votes, outperforming Romney as a write-in candidate.
"It's a very emotional night for her, she's excited and thankful all the hard work of the supporters and volunteers paid off," said Alice Steward, a spokesperson for Bachmann, who has the backing of the Tea Party movement.
Other candidates didn't do so well as the top three. Former Sen. Rick Santorum won 1,657 votes, business executive Herman Cain finished at about 1,456 votes, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich got 385 votes, former Utah governor Jon Huntsman got 69 votes and Rep. Thaddeus McCotter from Michigan drew just 35 votes.
Although finishing at the third place, Pawlenty's campaign is in trouble, local media suggest. The former Minnesota governor has failed to raise his poll numbers outside the single digits, and had poured most of his remaining resources into the straw poll, where he hoped a victory would infuse his campaign with new momentum.
Iowa will be the first state to kick off the party primaries in 2012 election season, and the winner in the state can gain more momentum in the nomination campaign. The straw poll is an early indicator for Iowan Republicans' leaning as well as a test for the candidates' organization in the state. Poor showing can force some candidates to abandon their bids.
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