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After an hour of delay due to a voting machine malfunction, which led to the recount of over 1,500 ballots,<ref>http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/08/ames_a_partial_recount_confirm.php</ref> Mitt Romney won the 2007 Ames straw poll, receiving 4516 votes, or 31%. Former conservative governor [[Mike Huckabee]], whose poll numbers had been steadily rising around the nation, finished second with 2587 votes at 18.1%<ref>http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/</ref>.  

After an hour of delay due to a voting machine malfunction, which led to the recount of over 1,500 ballots,<ref>http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/08/ames_a_partial_recount_confirm.php</ref> Mitt Romney won the 2007 Ames straw poll, receiving 4516 votes, or 31%. Former conservative governor [[Mike Huckabee]], whose poll numbers had been steadily rising around the nation, finished second with 2587 votes at 18.1%<ref>http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/</ref>.  

Huckabee's second place finish was somewhat of a surprise to political analysts because of his lack of funds, transportation to the straw poll, as well as a late start in Iowa. Huckabee ended up spending the equivalent of $58 for vote, a small fraction of what Romney ($442.87 to $1,000 per a voter) and Brownback ($148.27 for each voter) spent<ref>http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MDhhNTUxODM5NjIyMjhjNGMwN2Q5MGRlMzNhZGJhODE=</ref><ref>http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2007/08/straw-poll-fall.html</ref>. He said after the victory, “We had two fish and five loaves and it fed 5,000.” Although Romney won the event at great cost, many political analysts believed that Huckabee's strong second place finish made him the biggest winner at the straw poll<ref>http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/08/ames_straw_poll_what_it_means.html</ref>.  

Huckabee's second place finish was somewhat of a surprise to political analysts because of his lack of funds, transportation to the straw poll, as well as a late start in Iowa. Huckabee ended up spending the equivalent of $58 for vote, a small fraction of what Romney ($442.87 to $1,000 per a voter) and Brownback ($148.27 for each voter) spent<ref>http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MDhhNTUxODM5NjIyMjhjNGMwN2Q5MGRlMzNhZGJhODE=</ref><ref>http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2007/08/straw-poll-fall.html</ref>. [[Image:MikeHuckabeeIowaStrawPoll.JPG‎ |thumb|240px|[[Mike Huckabee]], speaking in this photo at the Iowa Straw Poll, finished in second place with 18.1% of the vote]]He said after the victory, “We had two fish and five loaves and it fed 5,000.” Although Romney won the event at great cost, many political analysts believed that Huckabee's strong second place finish made him the biggest winner at the straw poll<ref>http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/08/ames_straw_poll_what_it_means.html</ref>.  

 

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