Mr George W. Bush won the Iowa Republican straw poll on Saturday, maintaining his position as the front-runner for the party's 2000 presidential nomination.
The governor of Texas, son of the former president, Mr George Bush, captured 31.3 per cent of the votes cast in the pay-to-vote straw poll, a non-binding, unscientific test of strength for the candidates. Mr Bush garnered 7,418 votes in the nine-way contest, followed by publisher Steve Forbes, with 4,921 votes (20.8 per cent) and the former American Red Cross president, Ms Elizabeth Dole, with 3,410 (14.4 per cent).
"This was a great festival of democracy that we participated in here today," Mr Bush told a crowd of supporters who chanted, "Bush, Bush, Bush".
"This is just the beginning. I've got a lot of work to do. But the victory today in Iowa put me on the road to earning the nomination of the Republican party."
The 53-year-old Texas governor added: "Today we shattered every record in the Iowa straw poll. We met our expectations and we won this straw poll the Iowa way, neighbour to neighbour."
The conservative activist Mr Gary Bauer, who served as an official in the Education Department under President Ronald Reagan, came fourth with 2,114 votes (8.9 per cent), while conservative columnist Mr Patrick Buchanan was fifth with 1,719 votes (7.3 per cent). Mr Lamar Alexander, former governor of Tennessee, finished sixth with 1,428 votes (6 per cent).
Mr Dan Quayle, former US vice-president, had perhaps the most disappointing showing, finishing eighth with 916 votes (3.9 per cent), coming after the radio commentator Mr Alan Keyes, who received 1,101 votes (4.6 per cent).
Sen Orrin Hatch of Utah, who entered the race just last month, was ninth with 558 votes (2.4 per cent), while Sen John McCain of Arizona - the only candidate for nomination not to compete in the straw poll - drew 83 votes.
The Iowa straw poll is conducted as a fund-raising event for the Iowa Republican party. Participants had to possess a $25 ticket in order to cast a ballot. The tickets were handed out by the various candidates, who offered voters free food and entertainment.
"Some pundits said I had nothing to gain and potentially a lot to lose," Mr Bush told his supporters. He added: "Thanks to you, we gained a lot."
Mr Charles Cook, of the non-partisan Cook Political Report, said Mr Bush, who came into the contest with high expectations, won by just a big enough margin not to be "hurt". "I figured he needed to win by at least 10 percentage points, and he won by 10 1/2," Mr Cook said. "It maintains his position as the front runner."
Mr Forbes "showed he could deliver some people", Mr Cook said. "I think people now are going to have to treat him as a respectable candidate rather than just an asterisk."
Mr Forbes, clearly pleased by the results, declared himself the "conservative alternative to challenge the status quo candidates", adding: "That's why I think I'm going to win."
Ms Elizabeth Dole, who described the outcome as a great victory in the first test of her presidential aspirations, said she would use US forces if necessary to defend Taiwan from Chinese military attack. "President Dole would do so," she said when asked in a television interview if she would deploy the US military to defend Taiwan.
Ms Dole told the NBC programme Meet the Press that she would seek to unite US allies to beat back any Chinese strike if necessary.
Sen John McCain of Arizona warned China against taking any military action against Taiwan, saying the consequences would be severe.