From CNN:

Ron Paul finished a close third, according to the state GOP. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who placed fifth, said late Tuesday that he would return to his home state to consider whether his campaign would continue.

Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, had 30,015 votes. Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania and an upstart challenger who just weeks ago polled in the single digits, had 30,007, the state GOP said.

Each had roughly 25% of the vote in Iowa, the first state to vote in the 2012 presidential caucus and primary season. Paul, a U.S. representative from Texas, had 21%. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was at 13%. Perry was at 10%, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota had 5%, and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman had 1%.

State GOP officials said certified results will be released in two weeks.

Because the race was initially too close to call, many candidates spoke to their supporters before the final tally was released.

“Game on,” said Santorum, to a crowd gathered in Johnston, Iowa. “What wins in America are bold ideas, sharp contrasts and a plan that includes everyone. A plan that says we will work together to get America to work.”

Even Romney praised Santorum’s efforts when speaking at his celebration party. “This has been a great victory for him and for his effort,” Romney said of Santorum. “He’s worked very hard in Iowa. We also feel it’s been a great victory for us here.”

The focus of the race will now shift to New Hampshire, which holds its primary on Tues., Jan. 10.

Photo: 2012 GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney (Flickr/Gage Skidmore)

2012 GOP presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (Photo: Flickr/Gage Skidmore)

Jacksonville’s Susie Wiles, the former campaign manager for Gov. Rick Scott, has joined the team of would-be GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Wiles was working closely with Romney opponent Jon Huntsman until July, when she left her position as campaign manager.

At the time, Wiles said “it was just time” to leave the Huntsman campaign, saying she had only signed up “to get [the campaign] started.”

Wiles has now been named as a co-chair of Romney’s Florida advisory council.

Wiles’ husband, veteran Republican advance man Lanny Wiles, remained with Huntsman until August, when he also left the campaign. Though he said at the time that he remained “an avid supporter of Governor Huntsman,” he, too, now appears to be backing Romney.

Via Politico:

Gingrich recently made a slew of appearances in Florida, appearing at a town hall meeting at Jacksonville Landing. Later that evening, Gingrich spoke at a private fundraising dinner in Ponte Vedra that was following by a meet-and-great at the Clubhouse of the Tournament Players Championship.

Though many have questioned whether to take Gingrich’s campaign seriously (some have called it nothing more than a glorified book tour), he has recently surged in the polls, despite garnering little media attention early on in his campaign.

Huntsman hasn’t fared as well. The former U.S. ambassador to China’s campaign manager, Susie Wiles, resigned early on — telling reporters in July that she had only signed up to get the campaign started and it was “just time” for her to go. Wiles, a Floridian, managed successful campaigns for two Jacksonville mayors and for Gov. Rick Scott.

Both Huntsman and Gingrich appeared at the Conservative Political Action Committee event in Florida, which took place in Orlando this September.

In a November appearance on Saturday Night Live, Huntsman poked fun at himself for his constant appearances in New Hampshire and his low numbers. “It is true [that I am polling in the single-digits],” he said. “But only a few months ago, I was polling at ‘margin of error.’ So to have any digit at all is a pretty big deal.”

The debate is set for Mon., Dec. 12 at the Institute of Politics in Manchester, N.H.

In a joint statement, Huntsman campaign manager Matt David and Gingrich campaign director Michael Krull said that the two were looking forward “to debating in a substantive format that will allow both candidates to highlight their experience and view for the country.”

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (Photo: myfloridalegal.com)

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is slated to co-host a Republican presidential candidate forum on Fox News’ Huckabee this Saturday, exactly one month before the Iowa caucuses. Bondi will interview candidates alongside Oklahoma Attorney General E. Scott Pruitt, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Candidates Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum have all been confirmed for the event. No word on whether or not one-time frontrunner Herman Cain, who is currently being dogged by accusations of a longtime affair with a Georgia woman, will also appear. According to The New York Times, the network is also awaiting responses from Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman.

“This forum is an excellent opportunity to engage each of the candidates in a candid conversation about issues that are important to voters in our state and across the nation,” Bondi said in a press release sent out by the Republican Party of Florida. “This will be a historic election, and I am excited to play a part in helping voters gain a better understanding of candidates’ beliefs on fundamental issues such as constitutionalism and the role of government.”

Bondi appeared alongside many of the GOP presidential contenders in August, when she spoke at CPAC FL. During the event, Bondi sat on a panel that discussed  strategies to end “unconstitutional ObamaCare.”

The forum will take place at 8 p.m. Sat., Dec. 3.

Terry Branstad (Photo: Tyler Kingkade/The Iowa Independent)

“I think it would be in their interest certainly to spend the time and effort here,” said Branstad, a five-term Republican governor. “The one that is not going to do well is Huntsman. He has virtually written off Iowa and he is an asterisk, and I told him basically he’s making a huge mistake.”

Romney and Cain have been largely absent from the state, each appearing at just a handful of events in the state. Yet they are leading in many national polls and among Iowa voters.

But Branstad said “it’s still very much a wide-open race,” and Iowans want the chance to meet candidates and them questions.

“If you look at what’s happened historically, oftentimes it’s the candidates that put in a strong push in the last weeks prior to the caucuses that have done well,” he said. “I encourage them to spend the time and put in the effort here, and I think it could be a real benefit to any of the candidates that put the effort in.”

Branstad noted former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich has surged in the polls after many wrote him off early in the campaign as he struggled with staff issues, questions about his spending habits and an apparent lack of focus on Iowa.

“Considering that a lot of people left him for dead at the beginning of the campaign, I guess you might say that,” he said when asked if Gingrich has new life. “I would also point out John McCain last time was in really dire straits and came back.”

Political observers should be careful about prematurely declaring a candidate’s campaign over before the caucuses, Branstad said, because “a lot can still happen between then and now.”

“We’ve seen a lot of candidates go up and down from the time that this thing started until now and I suspect the drama will continue,” he said.

As for the roller coaster ride that many candidates have experienced in the polls, which many have attributed to the party’s search for a candidate other than Romney, Branstad said it’s really about finding the best candidate to beat President Obama.

“Republicans are searching for the perfect candidate, and a lot of people have been up and down in this process, but I think that people are recognizing that we cannot afford to continue to go the direction we are,” Branstad said.

Although Steve Grubbs, Cain’s Iowa chairman, tweeted Sunday that the Atlanta businessman would be returning to the Hawkeye State this week, the campaign has yet to make a formal announcement of the events.

Speaking on Meet the Press on Sunday, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman became the first potential GOP presidential nominee to publicly express concerns with the “fetal personhood” amendment that appears on Mississippi’s ballot today.

Though Huntsman spoke about Mississippi’s Amendment 26 in vague terms, he did say he feels that the amendment “goes too far.”

“I think it goes too far,” Huntsman said. “I mean, I’m pro-life and always have been. I have two little adopted girls to prove the point. But I think life begins at conception. And I, you know, have certain caveats or exclusions in the case of rape, incest and life of the mother. But I’ve, I’ve always been — I’ve always been pro-life and proud of my record.”

The personhood amendment, if passed, would define life from the moment of conception — which could not only ban abortion but could have negative effects on in vitro fertilization, intra-uterine devices and birth control.

Though similar initiatives have appeared across the country, including one in Florida, support hasn’t been as strong as in Mississippi. While it has been heavily criticized for its potential ramifications, Amendment 26 has been endorsed by both candidates for governor and attorney general. The state’s current Gov. Haley Barbour voted in favor of the amendment via absentee ballot last Thursday.

In the 60-second web ad titled “Backflip,” Huntsman’s campaign provides clips of Romney “flipping” on statements he has made about the Obama administration, gun control laws and abortion, which has become one of the hottest issues in the race for the Republican nomination for president.

In one clip, Romney is quoted saying: “I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country.”

And in another: “I have constantly been pro-life.”

The ad ends with the camera on Huntsman: “This is a time when if you are going to be President of the United States, you show a little presidential leadership. That’s by taking a position and leading out. Sometimes there is a risk associated with taking a position, but that’s all part of leadership.”

Huntsman, like Romney and unlike most of the other candidates in the pack, has been reluctant to talk about social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage. On Piers Morgan’s talk show in August, Huntsman, noting he has adopted two children, said he has always been “pro-life” but supports abortion in cases of rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother.

“I don’t have a lot of patience on the non-economic issues,” Huntsman told Morgan.

Abortion is absent from Huntsman’s campaign website. Under “Issues,” only “Jobs & the Economy” and “Foreign Policy” are listed.

Watch “Backflip”:

Santorum said he often hears people say they like him, he’s a good guy and a solid conservative — but he can’t win. But the former U.S. Senator pointed out he managed to defeat a Democratic incumbent in Pennsylvania, generally considered a swing state.

“You hear the national media say ‘he can’t win,’” Santorum said. “No, he’s the only one that has won. He’s the only one that’s done it.”

Santorum said he has a track record of leading and making things happen, and asked why the media isn’t paying more attention.

“Do you think the media actually wants somebody out there leading who’s actually done exactly what’s necessary to defeat Barack Obama, to win those key swing states, to run against tough democratic incumbents, to put a kind of grassroots and comprehensive organization together to win?”

Santorum then said “we’re going to win here in Iowa,” and noted by the end of this week he will have reached out to people in all 99 counties in the state.

“I’ve done so at town hall meetings. I’ve done so in those kinds of meetings where people have the opportunity to come and kick the tires, get a chance to really see,” he said. “It’s not remotes or viral messaging or interviews by some patsy reporter. No, we get up there in front of the toughest questioners there are, and that’s the people of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.”

Despite spending the most time in the state of any candidate, Santorum got just 5 percent support in the latest Iowa Poll. That puts him in sixth place, in front of only former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who has effectively ignored the state.

Santorum made the comments at the National Federation of Republican Assemblies Straw Poll on Saturday in Des Moines. He finished with just 1 percent of the vote from Iowan attendees.

During the 2004 general election, Oregon was among 11 states that passed ballot measures banning gay marriage — 57 percent of Beaver State voters approved the ban. But in 2012, Oregonians might be given the opportunity to vote to lift the ban, if the state’s largest LGBT-rights group, Basic Rights Oregon (BRO), decides to it has enough support to start a full-fledged ballot-initiative campaign.

As The Register-Guard reports, volunteers have recently been working the phone bank at the BRO’s Eugene headquarters, trying to gauge support for marriage equality in the state.

Last month, Basic Rights Oregon announced it was exploring a Marriage 2012 campaign and, simultaneously, organized an advisory group made up of community leaders and campaign professionals to help finalize that decision in late October or early November.

“Deciding whether to go to the ballot is not something we take lightly nor a decision we will make alone,” said BRO Executive Director Jeana Frazzini in a statement on group’s website. “We want to hear from the experts and leaders on the Advisory Group as well as from the larger LGBT and allied community, because we cannot move forward unless we have a viable ballot measure as well as a supportive and engaged base of support.”

According to the Register-Guard, in 2004, gay-marriage-ban campaigners spent $2.5 million to push the amendment, while marriage-equality supporters spent almost $3 million.

The state’s leading marriage-equality foe, the Oregon Family Council, has promised to give BRO “the fight of their lives to protect marriage” if they start a ballot measure campaign.

If next year Oregon joins Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and the District of Columbia in becoming the seventh state to offer marriage to both straight and gay couples, it will be the first state to legalize same-sex marriage via popular vote and the first to overturn a constitutional gay-marriage ban.

Meanwhile, campaigns to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage wage on in Minnesota and North Carolina, and GOP presidential candidates face pressure from social conservative groups to support a federal constitutional gay-marriage ban. However, contender Herman Cain made news on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” by saying he thinks banning or legalizing gay marriage should be a state’s decision.

“I wouldn’t seek a constitutional ban for same-sex marriage, but I am pro-traditional marriage,” Cain told “Meet the Press” host David Gregory.

Cain, along with Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), are the only four GOP candidates in the leading pack of eight that did not sign the National Organization for Marriage’s controversial “Marriage Pledge,” which among other provisions binds the signer to supporting a federal constitutional amendment “defining marriage as only the union of one man and one woman.”

Watch Cain on “Meet the Press”:

“As a citizen, I have always supported New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary,” Gingrich said in a prepared statement.

“Now, as a candidate for president, I am committed to competing in and maintaining the first-in-the-nation status of the New Hampshire primary. Therefore, I will not compete in a state which holds its contest inside of one week of New Hampshire. I trust Governors Romney and Perry will join me in protecting the New Hampshire primary and campaigning in New Hampshire towards a January 10th primary contest.”

Earlier Thursday, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman indicated he would not compete in Nevada if it maintained its current caucus date of Jan. 14. Although Huntsman challenged all the 2012 GOP candidates to follow suit, he, like Gingrich, specifically called out frontrunner Mitt Romney — the campaign that is believed to have played a role in Nevada’s decision to set such an early date. Gingrich, however, is the first to single out Rick Perry.

New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner sounded the “December alarm” earlier this week, indicating that his state would move into 2011 for its primary if Nevada left it no other choice. By state law, the New Hampshire contest must precede any other contest by at least 7 days. Since Iowa has tentatively named Jan. 3 as its caucus date, and New Hampshire is locked into a Tuesday election, there is no wiggle-room left in January for Gardner.

Although the four states sanctioned by the two prominent national political parties to begin the nominating process — Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina — were scheduled to hold their contests in February, a Florida committee chose to usurp the rules and move its primary to Jan. 31.

Any state in violation of the nominating calendar set forth by the political parties can face sanctions, namely a loss of delegates to the national convention. Because the political parties have not historically followed through with such penalties, however, states have mostly scoffed at the possible consequences.