Tim Pawlenty has become the first significant casualty of the Republican presidential race, as he told supporters he was dropping out following a poor show in the Iowa Straw Poll. Mr Pawlenty, the former governor of Minnesota, told ABC's "This Week" that he was ending his campaign after a disappointing finish in the Iowa straw poll on Saturday. The poll was a test of organisational strength and popularity in the state whose caucuses lead off the Republican nomination fight. Mr Pawlenty had struggled to gain traction in Iowa, a state he had said he must win, after laying the groundwork for a campaign for nearly two years. He was eclipsed in polls in recent months by his Minnesota rival, congressman Michele Bachmann. She won the straw poll on Saturday.