More than two weeks after the voting ended, Republican officials in the U.S. central state of Iowa say they have no idea for certain who won the nation's first contest to nominate a candidate to eventually oppose President Barack Obama in November's general election.

On election night, January 3, Iowa Republican officials said that Mitt Romney, a one-time venture capitalist and former governor of Massachusetts, unofficially defeated Rick Santorum, a former senator from Pennsylvania, by eight votes. Romney went on a week later to decisively win the nation's first party primary election in New Hampshire, seemingly becoming the first presidential contender in decades to win the country's first two party nominating contests.

But Iowa officials now say that after reviewing the vote count from more than 1,700 caucuses, Santorum ended up ahead — by 34 votes.

Nonetheless, party officials did not declare Santorum the official winner because they said vote tallies from eight caucuses throughout the state are missing and will never be recovered.

The changed vote total could give Santorum, with staunch conservative views against abortion and same-sex marriage, a boost against Romney in the next primary election Saturday in South Carolina. But pre-election polls show Romney as the favorite of party voters in the state and nationally to oppose Mr. Obama, a Democrat. Numerous political analysts in the country view Romney as the inevitable Republican nominee.

Three other Republican contenders are also seeking the party's presidential nomination. Surveys show that former House of Representatives speaker Newt Gingrich has been gaining ground on Romney in South Carolina, with a Texas congressman, Ron Paul, the Texas governor, Rick Perry, and Santorum trailing. All five candidates are set to debate again Thursday night.