Report: Iowa Recount Puts Santorum Ahead By 34 Votes, Result 'Unresolved'

Rick Santorum has ended up 34 votes ahead of Mitt Romney after a recount of the results from the Jan. 3 Iowa Republican presidential caucuses, The Des Moines Register is reporting.

But, the newspaper adds, Iowa GOP officials say that results from eight of Iowa's 1,774 precincts "will never be certified" because they're missing — meaning the outcome remains basically unresolved, as the Register's headline says. Or, as one Republican official tells the Register, it's going to be viewed as a "split decision."

The Iowa Republican Party is due to officially release the results of its recount of the nearly 122,000 paper ballots from the caucuses at 9:15 a.m. ET.

When the long evening ended on Jan. 3, the preliminary count showed Romney (a former Massachusetts governor) eight votes ahead of Santorum (a former Pennsylvania senator).

The result was spun several ways: for Romney, it was a "victory" because he had not campaigned hard in the state until the final weeks before the caucuses; for Santorum, it was a "victory" because he had been far behind in the polls just days before the voting; for Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), who came in a strong third, it was a "victory" because he had shown again that he had a strong following; for others, such as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, it was a "defeat" because they trailed well behind.

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Update at 7:58 a.m. ET. More Confirmation:

The Associated Press now says it too has been told by "Republican officials, speaking on condition of anonymity" about the recount results.

Update at 7:43 a.m. ET. Romney's Reaction:

In a written statement, The Associated Press says, Romney has called the result a "virtual tie" and has praised Santorum's "strong performance."

Update at 7:05 a.m. ET. The Numbers:

For those keeping count, the Register says the recount reduced both candidates' numbers. Santorum's total shrank by 168 votes, to 29,839. Romney's total shrank by 210 votes, to 29,805.

The Iowa Republican Party says it will be posting the numbers here.

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