Kayne Robinson, Iowa Republican Party chairman, announced the results shortly after 9 p.m. With a purchase of 10,500 tickets, the Bush campaign virtually assured a win Saturday in the Iowa Straw Poll. But Forbes' campaign purchased 7,711, which they said made it a two-man race. Sources in Dole's campaign said they purchased 3,000 seats. Forbes also called the event a victory of sorts.
Substance beats glitz.
Kathleen Harrington, deputy campaign manager for Dole, said Dole was very excited about the results. We ran a lean and mean operation. Iowans waited in line, some for more than an hour, to cast their ballots in the straw poll. Some of them may have decided not to wait. For a while during the balloting, potential voters were locked out of the buildings by the order of the Ames Fire Marshal.