THE POWER OF 1

Cast a vote, win a straw poll

In the right context, one vote can make a world of difference. For example, at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference that ran Thursday through Saturday in New Orleans, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, left, scored a symbolic victory because he garnered one vote more than U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas in the group's presidential straw poll. Both essentially tied, 439 to 438, but because Romney received that one additional vote, he got to walk away with the bragging rights of looking strong as a possible GOP presidential contender in 2012. The nearest rivals to Romney and Paul were former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who also essentially tied, at 18 percent each. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee came in with a disappointing (for him) 4 percent.

Others in the race were Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Indiana Rep. Mike Pence (3 percent each); former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (2 percent); and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson (1 percent).

CASE NOT CLOSED

Djou giving Democrats a run for their money

The three-way race to fill the remainder of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Neil Abercrombie's vacated term in the U.S. House is a toss-up, according to the Atlantic magazine.

Quoting a Democratic source, the Atlantic reports that a poll taken by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee shows Democrat and former U.S. Rep. Ed Case and Republican Charles Djou, an outgoing city councilman, even at 32 percent, Democrat and Senate President Colleen Hanabusa at 27 percent, and 9 percent undecided.

Results of a mail-in, winner-take-all special election will be announced May 22 on who immediately fills the 1st Congressional District seat till the fall election. Djou is the presumptive Republican choice for the full two-year term—which starts in January—while Case and Hanabusa face each other for the Democratic nomination.