Participation in caucuses tops forecast
AUGUSTA, Maine -- In the coastal city of Belfast, so many Democrats showed up for the presidential caucus Sunday that it had to be moved from City Hall to a bigger, city-owned building called the Boathouse, the caucus leader said.
What happened in Belfast was consistent with what Democratic leaders saw across Maine.
The party's presidential caucuses far exceeded expectations and reflected intense interest in the 2004 White House race, state Democratic chairwoman Dorothy Melanson said.
"I'm just thrilled beyond belief and I couldn't be prouder," Melanson said yesterday as the final votes were being counted in caucuses won by Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts.
Howard Dean finished a distant second, and Representative Dennis J. Kucinich, who made a half-dozen visits to Maine before caucuses, finished third.
Kucinich showed his strength in places like Belfast, where he won. Caucus convener Percy Daley said at least 125 people showed up, more than at any caucus there since 1990.
"We tend to get a good number of people when there's an attractive underdog," Daley said.
But other forces were at work in drawing big crowds across the state, Melanson said. With 80.5 percent of the municipal caucuses' votes counted, 18,000 people participated, well over the 12,000 to 15,000 that party leaders hoped would attend.
"I think we're going to go over 20,000" when the votes are all counted, Melanson said.
"What the Democrats in Maine, as the Democrats all across the country, have proven is they're energized and mobilized for this upcoming election and they truly want to put a Democrat in the Oval Office," Melanson added.
Kerry took 47 percent of the vote, based on reports yesterday. Dean was second with 26 percent and Kucinich was third with 14 percent.
Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, who never came to Maine, took 7 percent of the vote, and retired General Wesley K. Clark, who visited the state in December, had 4 percent.
Twenty-four delegates were at stake, with delegates to the state convention in Maine being apportioned on the basis of caucus votes. In addition, Maine sends 11 "super delegates" to the national convention.
