Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann emerged the winner in the widely-anticipated Ames Straw Poll in Iowa on Saturday.
The conservative congresswoman came out on top in the event with 4,823 votes. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul came in second place. Here's a breakdown of the results:
U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.): 4,823 votesU.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas): 4,671 votesFormer Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty: 2,293 votesFormer U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.): 1,657 votesFormer Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain: 1,456 votesTexas Governor Rick Perry: 718 votesFormer Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney: 567 votesFormer House Speaker Newt Gingrich: 385 votesFormer Utah governor Jon Huntsman: 69 votesU.S. Rep Thad McCotter (R-Mich.): 35 votes
Romney, Gingrich and Huntsman didn't not actively campaign for support in the straw poll despite their names appearing on the ballot. Perry, who announced his candidacy for president on Saturday, did not aggressively look to lock up votes in the event. His name did not appear on the ballot; however, write-in votes were allowed in the straw poll.
The outcome is the first indication of what Iowans think of the field of Republicans competing for the chance to challenge President Barack Obama next fall. But it's hardly predictive of who will win the winter Iowa contest, much less the party nod or the White House.
The results of this nonbinding vote, held on the Iowa State University campus, came just hours after Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the race.
"I full well believe I'm going to win," Perry told South Carolina voters on a conference call before delivering his first speech as a candidate.
Despite Perry's best efforts to overshadow the day, the epicenter of the presidential contest was in this Midwestern town, where Iowans cast ballots during a daylong political festival, a late-summer ritual held every four years.
We're following the latest developments as they unfold in Iowa. Check out the live blog below.