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The Iowa Straw Poll has acted as a means of narrowing down Republican primary contestants. Lower tier candidates are forced to place high in the straw poll in order to keep up funding from supporters. In 1999, [[Lamar Alexander]] ended his primary campaign just two days after the Iowa Straw Poll. In October of the same year, Elizabeth Dole also cut short her campaign after not living up to her supporters' expectations in the Iowa Straw Poll<ref>http://www.iowagop.net/straw.poll.asp</ref>.
The Iowa Straw Poll has acted as a means of narrowing down Republican primary contestants. Lower tier candidates are forced to place high in the straw poll in order to keep up funding from supporters. In 1999, [[Lamar Alexander]] ended his primary campaign just two days after the Iowa Straw Poll. In October of the same year, Elizabeth Dole also cut short her campaign after not living up to her supporters' expectations in the Iowa Straw Poll<ref>http://www.iowagop.net/straw.poll.asp</ref>.
Members of any state could participate up until 1999 when organizers decided to allow only Iowans to vote in the poll. Before this procesure changed, candidates bused supporters in from other states to vote<ref>http://www.worldmag.com/articles/13258</ref>.
The 2007 Iowa Straw Poll was won by former [[Massachusetts]] Governor [[Mitt Romney]]. Conservative [[Mike Huckabee]], the former [[Arkansas]] governor, placed second in the straw poll of over fourteen thousand Iowa voters. In 1999 the first and second place finishers at the Iowa Straw Poll went on to receive over 70% of the vote in the [[Iowa Caucus]]es<ref>http://www.todaysthv.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=50794</ref>.
The 2007 Iowa Straw Poll was won by former [[Massachusetts]] Governor [[Mitt Romney]]. Conservative [[Mike Huckabee]], the former [[Arkansas]] governor, placed second in the straw poll of over fourteen thousand Iowa voters. In 1999 the first and second place finishers at the Iowa Straw Poll went on to receive over 70% of the vote in the [[Iowa Caucus]]es<ref>http://www.todaysthv.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=50794</ref>.