COLUMBIA, S. C. ( AP) — Rick Santorum edged Mitt Romney by 34 votes in a surprise flip to the final tally of the Iowa caucuses, but no winner will be declared because some votes remain missing in the event’s closest finish ever, Republican officials said today.
Romney had initially been considered the winner — by just 8 votes — of the first contest in the GOP presidential nomination contest, giving him momentum heading into the New Hampshire primary, which he won handily. The new numbers could give a boost to Santorum, who’s trying to undermine Romney’s apparent dominance over the field as South Carolina primary voters go to the polls Saturday.
Iowa GOP Chairman Matt Strawn is scheduled to announce the certified vote totals today. The Republican officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to pre-empt his announcement, said Strawn wouldn’t declare a winner because of the uncounted, missing votes.
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