Tea Party Divided Over Candidates

 I will update after each primary, so come back and check.

While Tea Partiers appear to be a key part of the electorate in the Iowa caucuses, polls show that they're not at all unified when it comes to choosing a candidate. While Rick Santorum amassed the most Tea Party supporters (nearly three out of every 10 voters), Ron Paul and Mitt Romney both earned the votes of roughly two in 10 Tea Partiers. This lack of unity could potentially affect the movement's overall influence in the Republican Party.

 

Republican Presidential Candidates on the Issues

• Abortion         
• Taxes/Spending
• Regulation
• Entitlements
• Afghanistan
• Torture
• Iran
• Energy/Environment
• Immigration
• Same-Sex Marriage
• Health Care
• Education
• China
• Bailout

State-by-State Primary Results
                                                                                                
                                               Newt         Jon           Ron       Rick        Mitt        Rick

                                               Gingrich      Huntsman  Paul      Perry       Romney  Santorum  Others

Jan. 3	Iowa »	13.3%	0.6%	21.4%	10.3%	24.5%	24.6%	5.2%
Jan. 10	New Hampshire »	9.4%	16.9%	22.9%	0.7%	39.3%	9.4%	1.5%
Jan. 21	South Carolina »	40.4%	0.2%	13.0%	0.4%	27.8%	17.0%	1.2%
Jan. 31	Florida »	31.9%	0.4%	7.0%	0.4%	46.4%	13.4%	0.5%
Feb. 4	Nevada »	21.1%	0.0%	18.8%	0.0%	50.1%	10.0%	0.0%

Last Updated: 12:48 PM ET

Latest Results

Feb. 7	Colorado » Caucuses begin at 9 PM ET	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
	Minnesota » Caucuses begin at 8 PM ET	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%

Upcoming Events

Feb. 4 - Feb. 11	Maine Caucuses	24 delegates
Feb. 28	Arizona Primary	29 delegates
	Michigan Primary	30 delegates
March 3	Washington Caucuses	43 delegates
March 6	Alaska Caucuses	27 delegates
	Georgia Primary	76 delegates
	Idaho Caucuses	32 delegates
	Massachusetts Primary	41 delegates
	North Dakota Caucuses	28 delegates
	Ohio Primary	66 delegates
	Oklahoma Primary	43 delegates
	Tennessee Primary	58 delegates
	Vermont Primary	17 delegates
	Virginia Primary	49 delegates
	Wyoming Caucuses	29 delegates
March 10	Guam Caucuses	9 delegates
	Kansas Caucuses	40 delegates
	Virgin Islands Caucuses	9 delegates
March 13	Alabama Primary	50 delegates
	American Samoa Caucuses	9 delegates
	Hawaii Caucuses	20 delegates
	Mississippi Primary	40 delegates
March 17	Missouri Caucuses	52 delegates
March 18	Puerto Rico Caucuses	23 delegates
March 20	Illinois Primary	69 delegates
March 24	Louisiana Primary	46 delegates
April 3	District of Columbia Primary	19 delegates
	Maryland Primary	37 delegates
	Texas Primary	155 delegates
	Wisconsin Primary	42 delegates
April 24	Connecticut Primary	28 delegates
	Delaware Primary	17 delegates
	New York Primary	95 delegates
	Pennsylvania Primary	72 delegates
	Rhode Island Primary	19 delegates
May 8	Indiana Primary	46 delegates
	North Carolina Primary	55 delegates
	West Virginia Primary	31 delegates
May 15	Nebraska Primary	35 delegates
	Oregon Primary	28 delegates
May 22	Arkansas Primary	36 delegates
	Kentucky Primary	45 delegates
June 5	California Primary	172 delegates
	Montana Primary	26 delegates
	New Jersey Primary	50 delegates
	New Mexico Primary	23 delegates
	South Dakota Primary	28 delegates
June 26	Utah Primary	40 delegates
Aug. 27-30	Republican National Convention

Iowa Republican Caucuses

Tuesday, January 3

Number of Delegates

28 delegates

Live Coverage of the Iowa Caucus »

The Race in Iowa

Rick Santorum’s campaign claimed a belated victory in the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 19 — more than two weeks after the contest — when certified results showed him leading Mitt Romney by 34 votes, a reversal from the eight-vote edge than Mr. Romney held on caucus night. But Matt Strawn, the chairman of Iowa’s Republican Party, said that an actual winner could not be determined in the caucuses because results from eight of 1,774 precincts could not be located for certification. Of the votes that could be reviewed by the party, the officials said, Mr. Santorum finished narrowly ahead of Mr. Romney. Read More »

2012 Caucus Process

Delegate Allocation: None of Iowa's 28 delegates will be bound to any candidate as a result of the Jan. 3 precinct caucuses. As in 2008, the state's delegates will be elected at district caucuses and at the state convention, which is scheduled for later in the year. The January caucuses will elect delegates to the county conventions currently scheduled for March.
Eligibility: Iowans who will be 18 years old by the general election in November are eligible to participate, and attendees can register up to the day of the caucuses.

 
Caucus Results

Jan. 22  |  99% reporting

Candidate		Votes	Percent		Delegates*
	Rick Santorum	29,839	24.6%		13
	Mitt Romney	29,805	24.5		12
	Ron Paul	26,036	21.4		—
	Newt Gingrich	16,163	13.3		—
	Rick Perry	12,557	10.3		—
	Michele Bachmann	6,046	5.0		—
	Jon Huntsman	739	0.6		—
	Others Show all	316	0.3

Iowa Entrance Poll: Where the Candidates Found Support

Top Candidate		Bachmann	Gingrich	Huntsman	Paul	Perry	Romney	Santorum
Sex	Male	4%	14%	1%	24%	10%	23%	23%
	Female	5%	12%	0%	19%	10%	25%	27%
Tea Party	Support	6%	15%	0%	19%	11%	19%	29%
	Neutral	2%	10%	1%	28%	9%	32%	17%
	Oppose	3%	9%	3%	21%	8%	43%	13%
Born-again or evangelical Christian	Yes	6%	14%	1%	18%	14%	14%	32%
	No	3%	12%	1%	26%	5%	38%	14%

View Full Exit Poll Results »

Show Polls That Meet Times Standards  

	Date	Poll	Gingrich	Paul	Romney	Santorum	Other
	Dec. 30	Des Moines Register 151 likely voters	11%	16%	23%	22%	28%
	Dec. 29	Des Moines Register 151 likely voters	11%	20%	24%	19%	26%
	Dec. 28	Des Moines Register 150 likely voters	15%	22%	26%	11%	26%
	Dec. 27-28	NBC/​Marist 433 likely voters	13%	21%	23%	15%	28%
	Dec. 27-28	NBC/​Marist 884 registered voters	14%	20%	23%	12%	31%
	Dec. 27	Des Moines Register 150 likely voters	12%	29%	22%	10%	27%
	Dec. 21-27	CNN/​Time/​Opinion Research 452 likely voters	14%	22%	25%	16%	23%

New Hampshire Republican Primary

Tuesday, January 10

Number of Delegates

12 delegates

Live Coverage of the N.H. Primary »

The Race in New Hampshire

Mitt Romney swept to victory in the New Hampshire primary, turning back a ferocious assault from rivals who sought to disqualify him in the eyes of conservatives, in a contest that failed to anoint a strong opponent to slow his march to the Republican nomination. Mr. Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, won by a double-digit margin, a validation of his strategy to use his neighboring state to cement his standing as the front-runner. The candidates who had hoped to use the primary to emerge as his leading rival fared poorly, leaving a fractured Republican opposition. Read More »

2012 Primary Process

Delegate Allocation: The 12 at-large delegates at stake represent nearly half of the original total, due to penalties imposed by the Republican National Committee for scheduling the primary in January. Delegates are allocated proportionally based on statewide results, with the state's three Republican National Committee members remaining as unpledged to any candidate.
Eligibility: New Hampshire residents who are registered Republicans or non-Republicans who register as Republicans on or before the day of the primary may vote in the Republican primary. (An earlier version of this page referred imprecisely to the procedure for non-Republicans to vote in the primary.)

Primary Results

Jan. 11  |  100% reporting

Candidate		Votes	Percent		Delegates*
	Mitt Romney	97,532	39.3%		7
	Ron Paul	56,848	22.9		3
	Jon Huntsman	41,945	16.9		2
	Newt Gingrich	23,411	9.4		—
	Rick Santorum	23,362	9.4		—
	Rick Perry	1,766	0.7		—
	Others Show all	3,621	1.5

New Hampshire Exit Poll: Where the Candidates Found Support

Top Candidate		Bachmann	Gingrich	Huntsman	Paul	Perry	Romney	Santorum
Sex	Male	0%	10%	17%	25%	0%	39%	8%
	Female	0%	9%	17%	20%	1%	40%	11%
Party affiliation	Democrat	-	4%	40%	25%	1%	14%	6%
	Republican	0%	12%	10%	15%	1%	49%	13%
	Independent or other	0%	8%	22%	31%	0%	30%	7%
Political philosophy	Very conservative	0%	17%	4%	18%	1%	33%	26%
	Somewhat conservative	0%	11%	13%	19%	0%	48%	7%
	Moderate to liberal	0%	3%	24%	26%	0%	38%	5%
Age	18-29	0%	3%	13%	46%	0%	26%	9%
	30-44	1%	9%	14%	32%	1%	37%	6%
	45-64	0%	9%	18%	19%	0%	42%	10%
	65 and older	0%	14%	20%	12%	1%	42%	10%

View Full Exit Poll Results »

Show Polls That Meet Times Standards  |  

Date	Poll	Gingrich	Huntsman	Paul	Romney	Santorum	Other
	Jan. 6-7	Suffolk 500 likely voters	9%	11%	20%	35%	8%	17%
	Jan. 5-6	Suffolk 500 likely voters	10%	9%	17%	39%	9%	16%
	Jan. 4-5	Suffolk 500 likely voters	9%	8%	17%	40%	11%	15%
	Jan. 4-5	U. New Hampshire 318 likely voters	9%	7%	18%	43%	11%	12%
	Jan. 4-5	NBC/​Marist 711 likely voters	9%	9%	22%	42%	13%	5%
	Jan. 4-5	U. New Hampshire 631 registered voters	8%	7%	20%	44%	8%	13%
	Jan. 2-3	Suffolk 500 likely voters	9%	7%	14%	43%	6%	21%
	Jan. 2-3	U. New Hampshire 313 likely voters	7%	8%	23%	46%	4%	12%
	Dec. 31- Jan. 1	Suffolk 500 likely voters	8%	9%	17%	43%	3%	20%

South Carolina Republican Primary

Saturday, January 21

Number of Delegates

25 delegates

Live Coverage of the S.C. Primary »

The Race in South Carolina

South Carolina is poised to be a test of Mitt Romney's ability to appeal to his party's conservative, religious base. The primary comes just 11 days after New Hampshire's, in which Mr. Romney is expected to do well, but the Palmetto State's southern sensibilities may produce voters who are suspicious of his past positions on social issues. And Newt Gingrich appears to be capitalizing on the wariness. Recent polls showed the former House speaker surging as he builds a serious presence in the state, with five offices there.

2012 Primary Process

Delegate Allocation: Like the other states holding primaries before February, South Carolina will lose half of its delegates under Republican National Committee rules. Eleven at-large delegates are awarded to the candidate with the most votes statewide, with another 14 delegates awarded based to the winners in each of the state's seven congressional districts. (A previous version of this page said that all 25 delegates would be awarded to the statewide winner.)
Eligibility: Individuals can register to vote in the primary until Dec. 22, 2011, and the primary is open to all registered voters.

Primary Results

Jan. 22  |  100% reporting

Candidate		Votes	Percent		Delegates*
	Newt Gingrich	243,153	40.4%		23
	Mitt Romney	167,279	27.8		2
	Rick Santorum	102,055	17.0		—
	Ron Paul	77,993	13.0		—
	Others Show all	10,686	1.8

South Carolina Exit Poll: Where the Candidates Found Support

Top Candidate		Gingrich	Paul	Perry	Romney	Santorum
Party affiliation	Democrat	-	-	-	-	-
	Republican	45%	10%	0%	28%	18%
	Independent or other	31%	23%	0%	25%	17%
Age	18-29	28%	31%	1%	16%	21%
	30-44	37%	19%	0%	19%	21%
	45-64	40%	11%	0%	29%	19%
	65 and older	47%	7%	1%	36%	10%

View Full Exit Poll Results »

Show Polls That Meet Times Standards 

Date	Poll	Gingrich	Paul	Romney	Santorum	Other
	Jan. 13-17	CNN/​Time/​Opinion Research 505 likely voters	23%	13%	33%	16%	15%

Florida Republican Primary

Tuesday, January 31

Number of Delegates

50 delegates

Live Coverage of the Fla. Primary »

The Race in Florida

The Florida primary will provide the first opportunity for candidates to play on a big stage. The results of the opening three contests will play a significant role in shaping the race in Florida, where candidates who cannot afford television advertising have little chance of breaking through. The economic downturn, home foreclosures and immigration are important issues, but whichever candidate arrives here as the front-runner stands the best chance for success. Early polls reflect the national dynamic, with Newt Gingrich showing signs of a surge. But Mitt Romney has been conserving his resources to compete aggressively in Florida before the Republican primary goes national.

2012 Primary Process

Delegate Allocation: The scheduling of Florida's Republican primary in January resulted in the loss of half of its expected delegates to the Republican national convention. The 50 at-large delegates will be awarded to the candidate with the highest total vote statewide.
Eligibility: Only registered Republicans may participate in the primary.

Primary Results

Jan. 31  |  100% reporting

Candidate		Votes	Percent		Delegates
	Mitt Romney	771,842	46.4%		50
	Newt Gingrich	531,294	31.9		—
	Rick Santorum	222,248	13.4		—
	Ron Paul	116,776	7.0		—
	Others Show all	21,538	1.3

Florida Exit Poll: Where the Candidates Found Support

Top Candidate		Gingrich	Paul	Romney	Santorum
Political philosophy	Very conservative	41%	6%	30%	22%
	Somewhat conservative	32%	5%	52%	9%
	Moderate to liberal	20%	11%	59%	7%
Candidate quality that matters most	Can defeat President Obama	33%	2%	58%	6%
	Is a true conservative	44%	13%	11%	30%
	Has strong moral character	8%	18%	46%	27%
	Has the right experience	45%	8%	40%	4%

View Full Exit Poll Results »

Show Polls That Meet Times Standards  |  

Date	Poll	Gingrich	Paul	Romney	Santorum	Other
	Jan. 27-29	Quinnipiac 539 likely voters	29%	11%	43%	11%	6%
	Jan. 27	NBC/​Marist 316 likely voters	25%	11%	40%	18%	6%
	Jan. 25-26	NBC/​Marist 366 likely voters	29%	11%	43%	13%	4%
	Jan. 24-26	Quinnipiac 580 likely voters	29%	14%	38%	12%	7%
	Jan. 24-26	Mason-Dixon 500 likely voters	31%	6%	42%	14%	7%

Nevada Republican Caucuses

Saturday, February 4
Number of Delegates

28 delegates

Live Coverage of the Nev. Caucus »

The Race in Nevada

Nevada is Mitt Romney country. Situated next to Utah, where the former Massachusetts governor has strong political and donor support, the state is home to many Mormons and Mr. Romney has never trailed here this year. In 2008, he won the state's caucuses -- and its 34 delegates -- easily. But while most of the Republican candidates barely register in surveys here, Newt Gingrich has consistently polled in double-digits, suggesting that he may have an opportunity to challenge Mr. Romney in the state. Winning the caucus could also help in the general election, when Nevada will be a critical swing state in the battle against President Obama in the West.

2012 Caucus Process

Delegate Allocation: Nevada's precinct caucuses will elect delegates to county conventions and also determine the allocation of all 28 presidential delegates, which are assigned proportionally based on statewide vote.
Eligibility: Caucus attendees must register by Jan. 21, and individuals who will be 18 or older at the date of the general election in November can participate, as long as they have been Nevada residents for 30 days and have lived in the precinct for 10 days.

Caucus Results

Feb. 6  |  100% reporting

Candidate		Votes	Percent		Delegates
	Mitt Romney	16,486	50.1%		14
	Newt Gingrich	6,956	21.1		6
	Ron Paul	6,175	18.8		5
	Rick Santorum	3,277	10.0		3

Nevada Entrance Poll: Where the Candidates Found Support

Top Candidate		Gingrich	Paul	Romney	Santorum
Income	Less than $50,000	24%	27%	41%	9%
	$50,000 - $99,999	19%	15%	57%	9%
	$100,000 or more	14%	17%	61%	8%
Candidate quality that matters most	Can defeat President Obama	18%	5%	73%	4%
	Is a true conservative	30%	42%	5%	24%
	Has strong moral character	1%	32%	54%	13%
	Has the right experience	32%	12%	55%	1%

View Full Exit Poll Results »

 

Show Polls That Meet Times Standards  |  

	Date	Poll	Gingrich	Paul	Romney	Santorum	Other
	Jan. 27-31	Las Vegas Review-Journal /​ UNLV 426 likely voters	25%	9%	45%	11%	10%
	Dec. 12-20	Las Vegas Review-Journal /​ UNLV 224 registered voters	29%	12%	33%	3%	23%