ified , ▁which ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post ▁said ▁" ser ved ▁to ▁embar rass ▁the ▁Iowa ▁G OP ▁— ▁which ▁had ▁to ▁admit ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁mis alloc ated ▁some ▁votes , ▁and ▁simply ▁lost ▁some ▁others , ▁in ▁a ▁raz or ' s - edge ▁election ▁where ▁every ▁vote ▁matter ed ." ▁One ▁party ▁executive ▁called ▁the ▁result ▁a ▁" split ▁decision ." " Al though ▁Sant orum ▁leads ▁Rom ney ▁by ▁ 3 4 ▁votes , ▁Iowa ▁G OP ▁won ' t ▁declare ▁a ▁winner ▁of ▁state ▁c auc uses " ▁( J anu ary ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 ). ▁Star ▁Trib une . ▁ ▁The ▁initial ▁returns ▁from ▁the ▁un cert ified ▁eight ▁prec inct s ▁( four ▁in ▁Lee ▁County ▁and ▁one ▁each ▁in ▁Cer ro ▁G ordo , ▁Em met , ▁Franklin , ▁and ▁P oc ah ont as ▁count ies ) ▁also ▁fav ored ▁Sant orum , ▁and ▁stat istic ian ▁N ate ▁Silver ▁stated ▁that ▁if ▁those ▁missing ▁prec inct s ▁had ▁been ▁included , ▁Sant orum ' s ▁margin ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁increased . ▁ ▁Despite ▁its ▁earlier ▁decision ▁not ▁to ▁declare ▁an ▁official ▁winner , ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 1 , ▁the ▁Iowa ▁Republican ▁Party ▁revers ed ▁itself ▁and ▁issued ▁a ▁press ▁release ▁formally ▁declaring ▁Sant orum ▁the ▁winner ▁of ▁the ▁c auc uses , ▁saying , ▁" In ▁order ▁to ▁clarify ▁conflic ting ▁reports ▁and ▁to ▁aff irm ▁the ▁results ▁released ▁January ▁ 1 8 ▁by ▁the ▁Republican ▁Party