By Gary Barlow

Staff writer

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama seized the lead in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination Jan. 3 in the Iowa caucuses, while Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney, who’s sought to capitalize on anti-gay sentiment, faltered in his bid for the Republican nomination.

Obama won 38 percent of the votes in Iowa, besting former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, at 30 percent, and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, who came in a disappointing third at 29 percent.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, despite running on a shoestring budget against the well-funded Romney and other GOP contenders, won the Republican race handily, capturing 34 percent of the votes. Romney, who spent millions in Iowa, finished second with 25 percent, while former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson and Arizona Sen. John McCain, who didn’t campaign in Iowa, trailed with 13 percent each. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani didn’t compete in Iowa.

Both Obama and Huckabee, while at opposite ends of the political spectrum, said their victories amounted to mandates for change.

“We are choosing hope over fear,” Obama told a raucous victory rally. “We’re choosing unity over division and sending a powerful message that change is coming to America.”

Huckabee, a Southern Baptist minister who mixes economic populism with socially conservative stances on gay rights, abortion and other issues, came out of nowhere to derail Romney’s campaign.

“A new day is needed in American politics, just like a new day is needed in American government,” Huckabee told cheering supporters after the Iowa win. “It starts here, but it doesn’t end here.”

Almost as soon as the Iowa caucuses ended the evening of Jan. 3, the candidates were in the air en route to New Hampshire, scheduled to hold the second big presidential test Jan. 8, with results coming in after CFP went to press.

But as the campaigning became intense in New Hampshire over the weekend, polls showed Obama, who as recently as Jan. 1 trailed Clinton in New Hampshire, surging to a significant lead over the former First Lady. A USA Today/Gallup Poll Jan. 7 had Obama at 41 percent, with Clinton at 28 percent and Edwards at 19 percent.

“You’re the wave and I’m riding it,” an enthused Obama told a huge crowd at one stop in New Hampshire.

Meanwhile, Clinton struggled desperately to stop the Illinois senator’s momentum, attacking his voting record and urging voters to not get caught up in Obama fever.

“Some of us are right; some of us are wrong,” she told voters in Portsmouth. “Some of us are ready, and some of us are not. Some of us know what we’ll do on day one and some of us don’t.”

On the Republican side, McCain, whose campaign appeared to be dead at one point, jumped into the lead in New Hampshire, with voters apparently having second thoughts about Romney after his defeat in Iowa.

Traveling the state in a bus journey he called “The Mac Is Back” tour, McCain held a four-percent lead over Romney in the USA Today/Gallup Poll the day before the New Hampshire vote.

“Tomorrow is the day when we will tell the world that New Hampshire again has chosen the next president of the United States,” McCain told cheering supporters.

The country’s two leading partisan GLBT political groups, the National Stonewall Democrats and the Log Cabin Republicans, had muted reactions following the Iowa caucuses.

The day after Iowans voted, LCR leader Patrick Sammon posted this response on the group’s blog: “Last night was clearly a big win for Governor Huckabee. The results show GOP voters in Iowa value credibility and authenticity over the slick, consultant-driven campaign of Mitt Romney. It is important to note, however, that last night was just the beginning of a long primary season. The GOP race is wide open. Log Cabin will be watching this race closely over the next month and we are hopeful the GOP will nominate a candidate who can unite the party around our core principles and who can defeat the Democrats in November.”

Stonewall Democrats Executive Director Jon Hoadley issued the following statement: “The Iowa Caucuses mark the beginning of the presidential selection season. For more than a year, Stonewall Democrats in Iowa and other early presidential states have organized to support and challenge Democratic candidates on LGBT issues. …It is important that LGBT Democrats continue to shape our Democratic field on issues which directly impact our families. As we move through the presidential selection process, National Stonewall Democrats will continue to utilize our ‘Pride in the Party’ program to aid LGBT Democrats to influence presidential campaigns while they campaign for delegate to the Democratic National Convention.”