Tuesday, March 30, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 29, 2004
4:00 PM
CONTACT: Kucinich.US
Matt Harris 216.889.2004
Terre Lundy, 515.988.5534

Kucinich Takes 26.53 Percent in Alaska


WASHINGTON - March 29 - Final results from Alaska's March 20 caucuses were tallied over the weekend showing Dennis Kucinich with 26.53% of the vote and John Kerry with 47.81%. It was the second second-place showing for Kucinich, who captured about 31% of the caucus votes in Hawaii earlier this month.

The remainder of the state's caucus votes, about 26%, will be up for grabs at the Alaska Democratic Convention, May 21 - 23 in Anchorage, because no other candidate, nor the uncommitted delegates, achieved the 15% threshold.

In some of Alaska's 36 voting districts, notably those around Juneau, Fairbanks, and the Kenai Peninsula, Kucinich did exceptionally well against Kerry. In one, the margin was 83% Kucinich, 17% Kerry. In four others, Kucinich won a majority of the votes, with percentages in some as high as 63%, 64%, and 62.5%.

"I want to thank the Democratic voters in Alaska for their strong show of support for the principles of peace, universal health care, the Patriot Act, and unfair trade policies that are costing us millions of jobs while diminishing workers rights and environmental protections everywhere," Kucinich said. He pointed out that Alaska Democrats voted for him even though electoral projections indicated that Sen. Kerry apparently had enough delegates to win the Democratic nomination.

"The voters of Alaska voted their consciences. They voted for the issues that they believe in. They voted because they want their voices to be heard as a way of shaping the direction of the Democratic Party," Kucinich said.

He also pointed to the fact that millions of other voters in 16 other primaries and caucuses still have a chance to do what Alaska did: vote for Kucinich and send a message. "Even though the nomination may be decided, why should millions of Democrats in these sixteen voting areas be denied a chance to affect the direction of our party?" Kucinich said. Voters still have sixteen chances "to register their concerns and support issues that have not yet been embraced by the Democratic Party and its presumptive nominee, Sen. John Kerry," he noted.

The final results, as reported by the Alaska Democratic Party, are as follows:

John Kerry 47.81%

Dennis Kucinich 26.53%

Uncommitted 11.95%

Howard Dean 11.08%

John Edwards 2.62%

http://www.commondreams.org/news2004/0329-14.htm

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