(CNN) Des Moines – Mitt Romney defeated Rick Santorum in Tuesday’s Iowa caucuses by eight votes, the state GOP said early Wednesday, clinching what appears to be the closest-ever margin of victory in a Republican presidential contest.
Ron Paul finished a close third, according to the state GOP. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who placed fifth, said late Tuesday that he would return to his home state to consider whether his campaign would continue.
Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, had 30,015 votes. Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania and an upstart challenger who just weeks ago polled in the single digits, had 30,007, the state GOP said.