Third GOPer Skipping Iowa Straw Poll

ABC News’ Teddy Davis Reports: Republican presidential candidate Jim Gilmore announced Thursday that he will not invest resources in the Iowa Republican Party’s Aug. 11 Straw Poll.

Gilmore, a former Virginia governor, said the resources of his campaign will be better utilized if they are instead focused on the Iowa caucuses in January.

Gilmore is the third Republican presidential hopeful to announce that he will not spend campaign funds in providing food, entertainment, transportation, and the $35 entrance fee for his supporters to participate in the Ames event.

On Wednesday, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., became the first two candidates to announce that they would not invest resources in the Straw Poll.

Former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass. — whose organizational strength played a role in the McCain and Giuliani decisions not to compete in the Straw Poll according to Iowa Republican Party officials — re-affirmed on Wednesday that he will take part in the Straw Poll.

Look for other second-tier candidates to make decisions in the near future as to whether they will invest resources in the Straw Poll or whether they will redirect their limited resources to the caucuses in January 2008.