Iowa: Iowans don't always pick winners

Posted at 11:45 AM on January 3, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: History, Iowa, Politics

Being the first state to select a presidential nominee places a great deal of attention on the Iowa caucuses, but Iowans have a checkered past in picking the ultimate nominee. NPR's Ken Rudin reviews the previous outcomes.

History. Here's a look at the results of contested GOP caucuses since 1980 (note: Iowa Republicans did hold a first-in-the-nation caucus in 1976, when President Gerald Ford was challenged by Ronald Reagan, but no official straw vote was taken.)

1980:

Iowa winner -- George H.W. Bush (32 percent)

Rest of field -- Ronald Reagan (30 percent), Howard Baker (15 percent), John Connally (9 percent), Phil Crane (7 percent), John Anderson (4 percent), Bob Dole (2 percent)

1979 straw poll winner -- Bush

Nominee -- Reagan

1988:

Iowa winner -- Bob Dole (37 percent)

Rest of field -- Pat Robertson (25 percent), George H.W. Bush (19 percent), Jack Kemp (11 percent), Pete du Pont (7 percent)

1987 straw poll winner -- Robertson

Nominee -- Bush

1996:

Iowa winner -- Bob Dole (26 percent)

Rest of field -- Pat Buchanan (23 percent), Lamar Alexander (18 percent), Steve Forbes (10 percent), Phil Gramm (9 percent), Alan Keyes (7 percent), Dick Lugar (4 percent), Morry Taylor (1 percent)

1995 straw poll winner -- Dole and Gramm (tied)

Nominee -- Dole

2000:

Iowa winner -- George W. Bush (41 percent)

Rest of field -- Steve Forbes (30 percent), Alan Keyes (14 percent), Gary Bauer (9 percent), John McCain (5 percent)*, Orrin Hatch (1 percent)

1999 straw poll winner -- Bush

Nominee -- Bush

2008:

Iowa winner -- Mike Huckabee (34 percent)

Rest of field -- Mitt Romney (25 percent), Fred Thompson (13 percent), John McCain (13 percent)*, Ron Paul (10 percent), Rudy Giuliani (4 percent)*, Duncan Hunter (1 percent)

2007 straw poll winner -- Romney

Nominee -- McCain