Ron Paul wins California straw poll

Los Angeles - With a hair less than 45% of the vote, Ron Paul has won this year's straw poll, which was held in front of the California Republican Party convention delegation.

Congressman Paul, who came in a close second at the Ames straw poll trailing Michelle Bachmann by less than one percent, took 374 out of the 833 votes in the California poll. Voters in the poll included "CRP members, associate members, and registered guests" according to the California GOP website. Rick Perry came in a distant second with 28% while Bachmann showed up in fourth place. The strong showing for Paul at both of these influential straw polls shows that he has support within the GOP ranks, even though there has been criticism of media outlets for not covering his campaign as extensively as his rivals'. At least two of Paul's supports at the straw poll voted for President Obama in 2008, but are disappointed by the results. According to MSNBC, one husband and wife couple defected from the Democratic Party: "Both of us voted for Obama in 2008," said Monica Wattana, an emergency care doctor.

"We kind of fell for the, 'Change We Can Believe In,' " said her husband, Brian Wilson, an engineer. He laughed. The full results of the California straw poll show that Paul, who is the author of the New York Times #1 bestselling book Liberty Defined, is far ahead of the pack: Congressman Ron Paul (374, 44.9%)

Governor Rick Perry (244, 29.3%)

Mitt Romney (74, 8.8%)

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (64, 7.7%)

Jon Huntsman (17, 2.0%)

Herman Cain (15, 1.8%)

Newt Gingrich (14, 1.7%)

Thad McCotter (7, 0.8%)

Rick Santorum (7, 0.8%)

Gary Johnson (2, 0.2%)

Fred Karger (1, 0.1%)

Write-ins (15, 1.8%)