Paul makes history in first-in-nation voting state

With 99% of precincts reporting, Ron Paul came in a strong third at the Iowa caucuses, gaining 21% of the vote.

1. Mitt Romney 30,015 votes (25%)
2. Rick Santorum 30,007 votes (25%)
3. Ron Paul 26,219 votes (21%)
4. Newt Gingrich 16,251 votes (13%)
5. Rick Perry 12,604 votes (10%)
6. Michele Bachmann 6,073 votes (5%)
7. Jon Huntsman 745 votes (1%)

The Ron Paul 2012 Presidential campaign is celebrating a great victory with its strong top-three finish at the Iowa Caucus. Below please find comments from Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton:

“The Ron Paul campaign is celebrating a great victory tonight.

There were three tickets out of Iowa, and Ron Paul earned one of them.

One of the three tickets, the one belonging to Rick Santorum, is a dead-end due to Santorum’s weak fundraising and lack of national campaign organization.

This is now a two way race between establishment candidate Mitt Romney and the candidate for real change, Ron Paul.

Ron Paul has a top notch national organization, tremendous fundraising prowess, and unequaled enthusiasm among his volunteers and supporters.

Dr. Paul has taken the first step towards earning the delegates it will take to be the GOP nominee and is the only candidate not named Mitt Romney with the ability to do so.

Ron Paul is now off to New Hampshire, South Carolina, Louisiana, Nevada, Maine, North Dakota, Washington, Colorado, and beyond.

See you on the campaign trail.”

Ron Paul’s whistle-stop tour of Iowa, done today in concert with his son Rand Paul, yielded enormous crowds often numbering in the hundreds.

The Polk County Whistle Stop in Downtown Des Moines attracted more than 700 supporters, the Scott County Whistle Stop held in Davenport drew more than 350 people, and the Linn County Whistle Stop held in Cedar Rapids yielded more than 300 people.

In addition, the Black Hawk County Whistle Stop in Cedar Falls drew more than 300 supporters, and the Cerro Gordo County Whistle Stop in Mason City attracted more than 200 voters.

“The excitement is palpable as Ron and Rand Paul make Ron’s closing arguments to the hundreds of supporters who braved the cold, windy weather to see the Pauls. We hope this level of energy, so unique to Ron Paul’s candidacy, propels us to a strong top-three finish in tomorrow’s caucus,” said Ron Paul 2012 Iowa Chairman Drew Ivers.

Supporters listen as Ron Paul speaks during the Black Hawk County Whistle Sto.

Ron Paul greets the spillover crowd at the Cerro Gordo County Whistle Stop