True to his word, former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson ended his presidential campaign after finishing sixth in an Iowa straw poll.
"I have no regrets about running," he said in a statement released Sunday evening by his campaign.I felt my record as Governor of Wisconsin and Secretary of Health and Human Services gave me the experience I needed to serve as president, but I respect the decision of the voters. I am leaving the campaign trail today, but I will not leave the challenges of improving health care and welfare in America.
Romney, as expected, came in first:
• Mitt Romney: 4,516 votes, 31.6%.
• Mike Huckabee: 2,587 votes, 18.1%.
• Sam Brownback: 2,192 votes, 15.3%.
• Tom Tancredo: 1,961 votes, 13.7%.
• Ron Paul: 1,305 votes, 9.1%.
• Tommy Thompson: 1,039 votes, 7.3%.
• Fred Thompson: 203 votes, 1.4%.
• Rudy Giuliani: 183 votes, 1.3%.
• Duncan Hunter: 174 votes, 1.2%.
• John McCain: 101 votes, 0.7%.
• John Cox: 41 votes, 0.3%.
Romney exceeded expectations by reaching a higher percentage than his recent Iowa poll numbers, even after the Romney campaign scaled back the campaign's effort to win the straw poll.
Huckabee's surprise second place finish came with the campaign spending less than $150,000 on the effort and without hiring buses to transport supporters to the event.
Brownback's third place finish was disappointing considering his campaign spent more than all campaign's except Romney. Perhaps the Brownback campaign was overly aggressive.
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