Though he said last night that he would go home to reassess his bid for the presidency — a signal that he might drop out of the race — this message just popped up on the personal Twitter page of Texas Gov. Rick Perry:

"And the next leg of the marathon is the Palmetto State...Here we come South Carolina!!!"

The 2012 campaign leapt from debate stand to voting booth last night, as Iowa held the first national caucus - the first step in the eventual selection the GOP nominee.  As many expected, front runner and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney won the night; perhaps by a slimmer margin than he would have hoped… 8 votes!  Coming in second by fewer votes than there are members in the Fellowship of the Ring, was Rick Santorum – one of the last remaining candidates to show a sudden surge in popularity.

By Wednesday night, the New Hampshire Statehouse might have been an afterthought....lost in the glare of the Republican presidential candidates.

But earlier in the day, New Hampshire politicians flexed their rhetorical muscles, jockeying for higher ground as the next legislative session kicked off.

Several news outlets, including the AP and The New York Times, report that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will endorse Mitt Romney.

It was a nail-biter at last night's Iowa Caucuses. After a year of campaigning, debating, promises and political ads, voting began for the twenty twelve Republican presidential candidate.  A too close to call race went well into this morning with Mitt Romney squeaking out an 8 vote victory from Rick Santorum.  Ron Paul came in a healthy third and Newt Gingrich a disappointing fourth. Rick Perry and Michelle Bachmann will both re-evaluate their campaigns.  We’ll look at the results and how they may affect the discussion in New Hampshire’s primary and other contests down the road.  

New Hampshire supporters of Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum are celebrating this morning.  They are working to capitalize on Santorum’s tie for first place in Iowa.

Less than four weeks ago, the former Pennsylvania Senator was stuck in single digits in the Iowa polls.  That’s about where he stands today in New Hampshire and his backers are hoping for a similar surge in next week’s primary.

State campaign co-chair, Bill Cahill, says Santorum aims to consolidate the social conservative vote in the Granite State.

At Ron Paul's caucus night event in Ankeny, Iowa, most of his supporters were celebrating. Paul finished a strong third in Tuesday night's caucuses.

But one man in the crowd — famed Republican strategist Frank Luntz — was much more concerned with what happens next.

"I think over the next 24 to 48 hours the campaign's gonna get a little bit meaner, a little darker, and a little bit more personal, as the candidates now fight for their life," said Luntz, who spoke with NPR in between television appearances Tuesday night.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he will return to his home state and "assess the results" of Tuesday's Iowa caucuses, after getting just 10 percent of the vote.

"With the voters' decision tonight in Iowa, I decided to return to Texas, assess the results of tonight's caucus, determine whether there is a path forward for myself in this race," Perry said.

He was originally scheduled to campaign in South Carolina on Wednesday, but those plans were put on hold after his distant fifth-place finish.

The Associated Press adds: