Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann won a key test vote Saturday in the U.S. state of Iowa, on the same day Texas Governor Rick Perry shook up the Republican race by announcing his bid for the party's nomination.

Bachmann won the Iowa “straw poll, a mock election with no official standing. She is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and favorite of conservative Tea Party activists seeking lower taxes and a smaller U.S. government.

Texas Congressman Ron Paul, a libertarian, came in second, and former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty finished third.

Nearly 17,000 people took part in the voting in the city of Ames, Iowa. The “straw poll” is seen a a key test for Republican presidential contenders seeking to challenge President Barack Obama in the 2012 election.

The Iowa ballot also included Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who national surveys have shown is the top choice of Republican voters to be the party's nominee.

Not on the ballot was Perry, who announced his candidacy Saturday in South Carolina. He is considered a formidable Republican challenger, with a strong record of Texas job growth and one that could appeal to social and economic conservatives. He is also a favorite of the Tea Party movement.

In a speech, Perry slammed Mr. Obama's economic record and argued that Americans cannot afford four more years of what he called “rudderless leadership.” He also vowed to fix the economy and make government “inconsequential” in the lives of Americans.

The White House fired back, criticizing Perry's economic record as governor of Texas.

Surveys have shown Perry is second behind Romney as a favorite to be the Republican nominee. Perry plans to visit Iowa on Sunday.

Perry is the longest-serving governor in the nation, and the longest-serving in Texas history. He took over in Texas from Republican George W. Bush after Mr. Bush won the 2000 U.S. presidential election

Others on the Iowa ballot were former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, two other former governors, Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Jon Huntsman of Utah, and a Texas congressman, libertarian Ron Paul. Georgia businessman Herman Cain and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum were also on the ballot.

Another potential candidate, former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, was not on the ballot. She has not said whether she will run for president, but she visited Iowa's annual fair ahead of the straw poll to greet voters.