Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney finished first in his party’s straw poll in Iowa yesterday, sending a strong, clear message that he is in fact a contender for the White House.

The 60-year-old former governor of Massachusetts finished with a strong 31% of the vote–that may seem like a weak number, but it’s actually quite great, considering voters had a whopping 11 candidates to decide over.

Surprisingly, major headliners Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, and John McCain only fielded 1% each.

Here’s the full picture:

Mitt Romney: 31%

Mike Huckabee: 18%

Sam Brownback: 15%

Tom Tancredo: 13%

Ron Paul: 9%

Tommy Thompson: 7%

Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, Duncan Hunter, and John McCain: 1%

John Cox: Less than 1%

I must say that I feel bad for Tommy Thompson. The former Wisconsin governor and Secretary of Health and Human Services for a brief period during the current Bush administration spent all of his time and effort in Iowa.

What a victory for Romney though. I have to say that the outcome of this straw poll was very refreshing. It demonstrates that religion does not have to be an automatic win/lose, make/break factor when running for office, and I’m glad to see that the voters overlooked all the criticism and hype generated by other candidates, the media, and evangelical Christian groups concerning his Mormon faith.

Weigh in with your thoughts here.

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