Kucinich a hit with Buncombe
Originally published in the Citizen-Times
Kucinich a hit with Buncombe; Edwards gets most votes in state's first presidential caucus
By Barbara Blake, Staff Writer
April 17, 2004 11:30 p.m.
ASHEVILLE - Buncombe County Democrats participating in the state's first presidential caucus Saturday came out big for Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich.
Kucinich won 643 votes, while Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina garnered 507 votes and presumptive presidential nominee U.S. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts took 257.
Vermont Gov. Howard Dean won 149 votes, while 15 went to the Rev. Al Sharpton of New York. Four voters were uncommitted, and four ballots were scratched out.
Statewide, with all 100 counties reporting unofficial results, Edwards led the balloting with more than 50 percent of the vote among five candidates. Kerry was second with about 27 percent, followed by Kucinich with 12 percent, Dean with 5.7 percent, and Sharpton with 3.3 percent.
Democrats usually hold a presidential preference primary, but it was scrapped this year because litigation over legislative redistricting delayed the statewide primary until July 20.
That date was too close to the Democratic National Convention, which begins July 26. So party leaders set up 127 sites where the state's 2.4 million registered Democrats could choose a nominee and allocate most of the state's 107 convention delegates. Buncombe County has some 30,000 registered Democrats, according to the Board of Elections.
Buncombe County Democratic Party Chairman Max Haner said 1,577 voters filled out paper ballots at four caucus sites, where people were waiting at the doors when they opened at 8 a.m.
"It's never stopped the whole day,'' said volunteer poll worker Robin McConnell. "I've been very pleasantly surprised.''
Lines were out the doors at some sites, as voters ignored the fact Kerry will be the nominee and exercised their right to have their issues represented by other candidates at the national convention this summer in Boston.
"There's a party plank to be made, and we want to be heard,'' said Robin Clark, a carpenter and builder who was stumping for Kucinich at the West Asheville Library caucus site. "We're hoping to get a percentage (of the caucus vote) so we can get a delegate or two at the convention.''
Kucinich's win in Buncombe came on the heels of a visit he made to Asheville two weeks ago, drawing some 500 supporters to City-County Plaza.
None of the other major candidates visited the region during the primary campaign.
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