Michael Reynolds / EPA
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney listens as fellow candidate Newt Gingrich responds to a question during the CNN Southern Republican Presidential Debate at the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, South Carolina.
The two leading candidates in South Carolina's primary, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, avoided sniping at each other in the first half hour of the CNN Southern Republican Presidential Debate. Gingrich dismissed questions about an ex-wife and Romney defended his private sector record.
Read more about the CNN debate on the First Read blog.
Matthew Cavanaugh / Getty Images
Republican Presidential candidate and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum holds up raffle money won and then donated to his campaign at a Rotary Club breakfast in Manchester, N.H. on Jan. 05. Santorum gave the money back to the club. Santorum continued his campaign in New Hampshire for the upcoming primary election after he finished second in the Iowa Caucus, losing to Mitt Romney by only eight votes.
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Audience members listen to Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain during a campaign town hall meeting at the Boys and Girls Club Jan. 5, in Salem, N.H. McCain, who ran against President Barack Obama in 2008, endorsed Romney on Wednesday. Romney eked out an eight-vote victory in the Iowa Caucuses against former U.S. Senator Rick Perry, who is also stumping in New Hampshire.
Win McNamee / Getty Images
Republican presidential candidate and former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, speaks with his wife Callista during a town hall meeting at Littleton Opera House on Jan. 5, in Littleton, New Hampshire. After finishing 4th in the Iowa Caucus, Gingrich continued his campaign in New Hampshire for the upcoming primary.
Charlie Riedel / AP
Rick Santorum, center, looks over caucus returns with campaign staff in his hotel room on Jan. 3, 2012, in Johnston, Iowa.
Charles Dharapak / AP
Supporters of Mitt Romney watch caucus returns at his caucus night rally in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 3, 2012.
Chris Carlson / AP
Newt Gingrich speaks during his caucus night rally in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 3, 2012.
Evan Vucci / AP
Rick Perry is greeted by supporters after speaking on caucus night on Jan. 3, 2012, in West Des Moines, Iowa.
Michael O'Brien of msnbc.com reports on the results of the Iowa caucuses:
After a night that saw the two candidates claim the lead, the GOP announced that Mitt Romney beat Rick Santorum by just 8 votes to become the apparent winner. Ron Paul finished third.
Newt Gingrich had an edge, at 13 percent, over Rick Perry, at 10 percent, while Michele Bachmann lagged in sixth, at 5 percent. Perry said he would take the next few days to re-assess his campaign.
"I've decided to return to Texas, assess the results of tonight's caucus, determine whether there is a path forward for myself in this race," he said in remarks shortly before midnight. Read the full story.
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Newt Gingrich addresses supporters in Iowa after finishing outside the top three, emphasizing the need for a national discussion about reforming American governmental institutions and commenting on his fellow competitors.
Rick Perry thanks his supporters in Iowa and announces he is reassessing his campaign and heading home to Texas.
Jonathan Gibby / Getty Images
Bob DiGregorio, a supporter of Republican presidential candidate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, leaves a caucus training session held at the Sheraton on Jan. 3, 2012 in West Des Moines, Iowa. After months of campaigning by candidates, Iowan voters throughout the state prepare to participate in the first caucus of the 2012 presidential election.
Rick Wilking / Reuters
Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum is surrounded by the media after a campaign stop in Des Moines, Iowa on Jan. 3, 2012, the day of the Iowa caucus.
Jim Lo Scalzo / EPA
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, flanked by staff members, greets Iowa voters at a campaign event at the Temple for Performing Arts in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 3, 2012.
Joshua Lott / Reuters
Republican presidential candidate and U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann stands with her daughter, Caroline Bachmann, and Iowa's 5th congressional district U.S. Representative Steve King during a news conference in West Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 3, 2012.
Jeff Haynes / Reuters
A Newt Gingrich supporter holds two postcards of Gingrich while listening to him speak at Elly's Tea and Coffee in Muscatine, Iowa, on Jan. 3, 2012.
Joshua Lott / Reuters
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul greets supporters during a campaign stop in West Des Moines, Iowa on Jan. 3, 2012.
For the latest information from the campaign trail see our FirstRead blog.
Andrew Burton / Getty Images
Republican presidential candidate and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich wipes away a tear while speaking about his deceased mother during a question and answer forum put together by Moms Matter 2012 at Java Joe's, a coffee shop, on Dec. 30, 2011 in Des Moines, Iowa. The GOP presidential contenders are crisscrossing Iowa in the final stretch of campaigning in the state before the January 3rd caucus, the first test the candidates must face before becoming the Republican presidential nominee.
This moment on the campaign trail today reminds a bit of the famous "my mother was a saint" line Richard Nixon uttered in his farewell speech to his staff after resigning the presidency. Newt Gingrich, like Nixon, is known for his hard-nosed political style.
Watch the video below and let us know (via the poll) if you think Gingrich is really being sincere.
While speaking to a group of mom's in Des Moines, Iowa, Newt Gingrich gets choked up while talking about his own mom.
Charles Dharapak / AP
Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and his wife Callista greet Tonya Tran of Natural Nails salon during a campaign stop at the Southbridge Mall in Mason City, Iowa on Dec. 28, 2011.
I’ve always enjoyed the little moments of recognition that news photographers get to occasionally play with. It’s something you don’t want to overuse as a photojournalist, but every now and then the world needs one of these visual jokes.
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Jim Young / Reuters
Members of the audience look on as Republican presidential candidates participate in the debate in Sioux City, Iowa, on Dec. 15, 2011.
Reuters photographer Jim Young took the pictures that he had to take at last night's Republican candidates' debate in Sioux City, Iowa. You can see one of them below. But he also turned his camera around to examine the faces of the audience. It's the views of people like these that will matter the most when the Iowa caucus is held on January 3.
Jim Young / Reuters
Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich pose before the Republican Party presidential candidates' debate in Sioux City, Iowa, on Dec. 15, 2011.
To kick off a new series, What #MattersMost in 2012?, NBCPolitics.com travelled to western Iowa to hear from Republican voters and activists about what matters most to them as they prepare to cast their votes for the GOP presidential nominee. Watch the video below and find out how you can join the debate on Twitter, Facebook and beyond by clicking here.
Political activists in western Iowa talk about the issues most important to them heading into election season.
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