(CNN) – The Iowa Republican chairman, Matt Strawn, announced on Tuesday that he will step down in February.
The announcement, made in a video posted to the state GOP website, comes four weeks after Iowa's lead off caucuses, which ended after a nearly three week certification process in a 34 vote victory for former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.
CNN Live: Tune in to CNN on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. ET for CNN's live coverage of the Florida primary results and follow real-time results on CNNPolitics.com and on Twitter at #cnnelections. Stay up to date with CNN apps for iPhone, iPad, Android or other phones.
Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
"For this fifth generation Iowan and Benton County farm kid, serving as your Chairman has been an honor, a privilege and the opportunity of a lifetime," Strawn said in a statement.
The state party, which oversaw the caucus process, certified results in all but eight of the 1,774 precincts, which did not submit proper vote total paperwork to the party. Strawn told CNN that he was satisfied to certify the result.
"I am proud that an overwhelming [number] of the counties – in fact 99.96% of the counties – complied with the 14-day deadline to get their materials in," Strawn said.
The state's caucuses were originally slated for February, but were moved to January after Florida announced their primary would be held on Jan 31, launching a period of speculation that Iowa or New Hampshire, traditionally the first two states to vote, could even poll in December of 2011.
The Iowa result led Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann to pull out of the race, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry to briefly reconsider his bid, which he eventually dropped days before the South Carolina contest.
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help | CNN Newsource | License Footage
The key is knowing when the best time to step down!
I wonder if this will help Prince Reebus turn in his resignation as well.
Probably a good time to transition to a new person. But PLEASE Iowa, let's make sure ALL the precincts get counted from now on. People associated with those 8 missing precincts should be asked to take a hike.
Wire Palladin has this exactly right – Reince Priebus should be forced to resign immediately. The Republican party though MIchael Steele was an embarrassment to the party...but he was nothing compared to the damage Preibus has caused them. I'm beginning to wonder if he is actually a closet Democrat with the way he is hurting them.
will they ever release the info on who alledgedly won those 8 precincts?
FRAUD!!! 99.96 % REALLY...When you have a result with only 34 votes separated the 1st and 2nd and you did not certified 8 precincts....WELL PRETTY STUPID!!
It is just hilarious when leftists always call for others to resign yet sit in silence when their breathern utter the vilest of statements. Honestly hypocrites, give it a rest and stop wasting network bandwidth with your nonsense.
Wouldn't it be something if he resigns and goes to work for the Santorum campaign?
Probably because they didn't get the desired result...or the candidate they wanted to win.
That is what happens when Mittens doesn't win.