Voters switch for Dem caucus in New Mexico
Originally published in the Albuquerque Tribune
Voters switch for Dem caucus
By Shea Andersen
Tribune Reporter
Democrats, say hello to your new brethren.
They're Greens, they're Republicans, and they're Independents. And they're all switching to your party so they can vote in your Feb. 3 caucus.
So far this month, Bernalillo County Clerk Mary Herrera said her office has seen almost 900 new registered Democrats. In November, 647 people signed up for registration.
"That keeps us on our toes," Herrera said.
Of those, 187 are Green Party members switching to become Democrats, Herrera said.
The rush to register ended Tuesday, the last day to register as a Democrat in order to participate in the caucus.
In less than a month, New Mexico Democrats will nominate one of eight national candidates to run against President Bush in the 2004 election.
The caucus, run by the New Mexico Democratic Party, has attracted a number of party-switchers who want to have a say in the caucus' turnout.
"This week has been incredible. Our phone's been ringing off the hook," said Courtney Hunter, political director for the New Mexico Democratic Party. Her office in Albuquerque was swamped Tuesday with people of all political stripes wanting to register.
Interest in re-registering has stretched across the state, said Larry Dominguez with the Secretary of State's office in Santa Fe.
"I've been getting all kinds of calls about making the change," Dominguez said.
This particular election cycle has attracted New Mexico Green Party members, who have been switching to Democrat in order to vote for a candidate like U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio.
In September, when Kucinich, the self-described "peace candidate," announced his candidacy in Albuquerque, former Green Party candidate for governor David Bacon made a show of "crossing the green line" to register as a Democrat to vote for Kucinich.
The national Green Party has issued statements saying most Greens won't be voting for any Democrat for president, but rather will support the Green candidate.
But Santa Fe County Clerk Rebecca Bustamante said she has heard from Greens ready to switch.
"Right now we're swamped," Bustamante said. "There's quite a few Greens that came in."
In the end, however, Herrera expects these new Democrats to shuffle back to their former party once they've registered.
That's a long-held tradition in primary elections in New Mexico, Herrera said. She has met several people who changed parties before the primary to vote for a particular candidate, then changed back before the general election.
"That's their right," Herrera said. "They'll be back."
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