CNN projects Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul will take third place in the Iowa caucus.
Based on the latest Iowa caucus results, Mr. Paul will take third place after receiving 21 percent of the vote, or 22,821 total votes.
Meanwhile, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Rick Santorum continue to battle for first place. Both Mr. Romney and Mr. Santorum received 25 percent (26,000 votes) with 88 percent of precincts reporting.
The Texas Republican addressed a crowd of supporters late Tuesday, saying he remains confident his campaign can capture support in New Hampshire and beyond.
“What makes me feel good is that you’re [working on the campaign] because you believe in something,” said the Texas Republican. “The enthusiasm has been incredible, it’s national.”
“There is an election in New Hampshire and believe me, we are going to keep scoring,” Mr. Paul added. “We come out of this election with three top winners.”
Mr. Paul benefited from strong support from independents and those under 30, many of them first-time caucus-goers, however, the Texas Republican failed to grasp support in key population centers.
The caucus results were a clear setback for a pair of candidates once expected to contend for the nomination — Texas Republican Governor Rick Perry and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Michele Bachmann, who won a high-profile Iowa straw poll last August, was a distant sixth and faces elimination from the race.
The contest for the Iowa caucus has been hard fought over several months, with just about every candidate taking a turn leading in the polls. In both Iowa and nationwide polls, Mr. Romney has maintained the support of 20 percent to 30 percent of GOP voters. His Republican rivals, meanwhile, each enjoyed a temporary surge only to lose momentum.
Early numbers from entrance polls — a sampling of Iowa voters as they headed into their caucus sites throughout the state — showed a similar breakdown in support, with Mr. Paul, Mr. Romney and Mr. Santorum in a virtual first-place tie, and Mr. Gingrich, Mr. Perry and Ms. Bachmann in fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
