MES, Iowa - Texas Governor George W. Bush held off a strong challenge from publisher Steve Forbes in yesterday's closely watched Republican straw poll, in what may foreshadow a tough fight in the coming months between the two best-financed candidates in the presidential field.
The straw poll also appeared to breathe new life into the campaign of Elizabeth Dole, who placed a solid third. But the poll dealt a serious blow to the hopes of former Tennessee governor Lamar Alexander and especially former Vice President Dan Quayle, who trailed far behind.
Many analysts had said they expected Bush and Forbes to take the first two spots, so most of the campaign focused on the battle for third. Dole, the winner of this contest-within-the-contest, demonstrated she is likely to be a factor for months to come with her strong support, especially from women.
As has become the custom in political contests, the second-place winner claimed victory by saying he had exceeded expectations.
''A funny thing happened on the way to the coronation,'' Forbes said last night, referring to the hoopla surrounding Bush. ''The people voted. Now is the time for conservatives to unite and win.''
Bush left Ames immediately after the vote, declining to answer questions after telling supporters that ''we met our expectations'' and that ''the victory in Iowa today puts me on the road to the nomination of the Republican Party.''
Forbes's national chairman Ken Blackwell said in an interview the campaign had met its goal of turning the contest into a two-way race.
''Bush hoped to end it today,'' Blackwell said. ''But we have hit it back over the net and it is a race.''
With 24,549 people voting, about twice the number of four years ago, Bush got 31.3 percent and Forbes received 20.8 percent. Forbes, whose presidential aspirations were damaged in Iowa during the 1996 caucuses, broke through the field behind Bush by spending lavishly on television ads.
Dole got 14 percent, followed by conservative activist Gary Bauer with 8.9 percent, commentator Patrick Buchanan with 7.3 percent, Alexander with 6 percent, radio host Alan Keyes with 4.6 percent, and Quayle with 3.9 percent. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah got 2.4 percent, and several other candidates who did not compete rounded out the field with small tallies.
Senator John McCain of Arizona was the only active Republican candidate not to come to Ames, decrying the vote-buying event as a ''sham.'' But McCain is unpopular here due to his opposition to ethanol, a corn-based additive to gasoline.
If yesterday's event is a guide, Bush has some tough days ahead within his party. Without mentioning Bush's name, nearly every other Republican candidate took aim at the governor, ridiculing his huge campaign war chest and asserting that the nation needs a real Republican contest to ensure that a tested candidate faces the Democratic nominee.
Throughout the day, the Iowa Republicans celebrated their prime position in American politics with the atmosphere - and nearly the size - of a national convention.
But this was a home-grown convention. There were bikers for bush and bicyclists for Alexander. There were church groups for Bauer and farmers for Quayle. And there were so many people wearing orange shirts for Forbes that a campaign supporter suggested they resembled a giant pack of Reese's Pieces.
Bus after bus wound through the maze of campaign tents, dropping off voters. In one spot, dozens of people wore the fire-engine red shirts of the Alexander campaign. In another area was a sea of yellow shirts, a sign of support for Dole.
While Bush paid $43,000 for his tent site just outside the Hilton Coliseum, it was Forbes who put on the most elaborate show. In addition to his air-conditioned tent, the Forbes campaign looked after children in a giant ''moon bounce'' machine and erected a climbing wall that was named - perhaps hopefully - ''King of the Mountain.''
There has been frequent criticism about investing such importance to the straw poll, which is a fund-raising event for the state Republican Party. The results are nonbinding, and it costs $25 per person to participate, with the price refunded by the campaigns, leading to criticism that the event was an exercise in vote-buying.
Still, the importance attached to the event by candidates and the media mean the results will probably have a significant impact on the race, which until now has been dominated by the story of front-runner Bush.
