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IO- eAPE.GAZE'rIE,--Friclay, February P. --Februm7 29-, 1996
Sussex readies for state's first-ever presidential primary
By Michael Short
Sussex is bracing for the first ever
Delaware presidential primary on Saturday.
But Ken McDowell, director of the Sus-
sex County Department of Elections, said
that many people don't seem to realize that
Delaware is about to join the ranks of po-
tential presidential makers like New Hamp-
shire and Iowa.
"I think there's a lot of people who don't
realize this is happening," McDowell said.
Saturday's presidential primary will pit a
host of Republican contenders against each
other, including Steve Forbes, who is blitz-
ing the state Friday with a host of personal
appearances.
Phil Gramm campaigned hard in
Delaware and was an early favorite here be-
fore early primary losses forced Gramm to
leave the race. Among other presidential
contenders, only Republican Alan Keyes is
campaigning in Delaware.
Keyes, a former United Nations ambas-
sador who is trying to make a name for
" himself by pushing morality issues, was in
Wilmington on Wednesday.
Republicans can choose from Lamar
Alexander, Pat Buchanan and his currently
soaring campaign, early election favorite
Bob Dole, Forbes, Richard Lugar, Keyes
and Gramm, who withdrew from the race
too late to have his tame withdrawn from
Delaware's ballot.
Democrats have a far more limited
choice, being limited to either Lyndon
LaRouche, Jr. or Bill Clinton. Registered
independents can't vote in the Saturday pr!-
mary.
Delaware's primary will produce 14 De-
mocratic delegates and 12 Republican' dele-
gates. That's small potatoes next to states
like California and New York, but it's com-
parable to primaries in other small states
like New Hampshire. New Hampshire is
considered a vital, early test for candidates,
but it only produces 16 Republican dele-
gates and 20 delegates for the Democrats.
The Republican race is garnering the li-
on's share of attention as expected, and
Sussex County Republican Chairman
Roland Derrickson said he doesn't know
how Sussex will vote.
Derrickson said Gramm was probably the
leader in the county until he dropped out of
the race. "He seemed to generate a lot of
support," he said.
Forbes is expected to help his cause with
Friday's blitz of Delaware. "I can tell you
this, there'a a lot of interest in Steve
Forbes,"Derrickson said, explaining that
people seem very curious about him.
Among the appearances made by Forbes
today will be a tour of Nanticoke Homes
and dinner with the party faithful at the-
Owens Campus of Del Tech. He will have
lunch with the Georgetown Rotary and then
visit the Huling Cove CHEER Center in
Lewes.
A very unscientific test of voters was
held Tuesday on WAFL Radio in Milford.
Talk show host Dan Gaffney said he asked
callers who they wanted to win in Satur-
day's primary. The results had Forbes
pulling in 51 percent of the vote, followed
by Alexander's 22 percent, Buchanan's 12
percent and Dole's five percent.
"I would say there's a lot of interest,"
said Derrickson.
McDowell said that interest is picking up
in the election, although he still expects a
modest turnout Saturday: "I am going to
take a wild guess and say 15 to 20 percent
(of registered voters) will vote."
He said that this week's New Hampshire
primary seemed to raise awareness and
boost interest this week. But he noted that
primaries usually only attract ten to 15 per-
cent of voters. Generally, the more local a
primary, the greater the interest.
"After Tuesday's New Hampshire prima-
ry, lots of absentee ballots have gone out,"
McDowell said.
But there are still only about 200 absen-
tee ballots that have been given out, com-
pared to the 3,000 which are usually issued
during November's general election. "They
are not breaking down the doors," he said.
McDowell thinks that's a shame. He said
this is a chance for Delawareans to play a
role in picking a president and he said
Delaware is a kind of microcosm of the na-
tion with a great diversity of people and in-
terests. "I think Delaware is certainly a
great mixing pot," he said.
Milton's Rogers leads
Delaware firefighters to
100% voter registration
By Kerry Kester
Lynn Rogers, president of the
Delaware Volunteer Fireman's
Association, announced on
Wednesday, Feb. 21 that the asso-
ciation will
be launching
a campaign
for 100 per-
cent voter
registration
from mem-
bers of all the
volunteer fire
companies in
the state as
well as the ROGERS
Ladies' Aux-
iliaries. The association will also
ask the members to assure that
their family members are regis-
tered to vote.
"We want the fire service to be
totally registered," said Rogers.
"I'm basically trying to get our
own house in order as far as voter
registration is concerned. Once
we have our numbers up in voter
registration, when we do have a
viable concern for the public
where life, property, safety or fire
prevention is concerned, and it in-
volves legislation, the fire lobby-
ists will have backing - through
voter registration."
Rogers said the target date for
completing the project is June 1,
and he has appointed Hal Barber,
Sr, of Bethany, Beach to chair the
Voter Registration Drive Commit-
tee. "We're not kicking Off until
after the presidential primary,"
said Barber.
"I feel the fire service's dedica-
tion to community service is also
dedicated to the democratic
process. That's why we're going
for 100 percent voter registration
of the volunteer fire service per-
sonnel and their families," he said.
Rogers said the association is
not in any way trying to encour-
age its members to join a particu-
lar party. "We're basically a state
agency without a paycheck, and
we're an essential service," he
said. He said the association is
merely trying to assure that it will
have a voice in government.
The Delaware Volunteer Fire-
man's Association, said Rogers, is
thought of by many as "The Third
Political Party." He said that al-
though the as-
sociation now
has a very
good working
relationship
with legisla-
tors and other
government
officials, it is
important to
make certain BARBER
it keeps a
strong voice. "I project in the
neighborhood of 20,000 will be
put in that package," said Barber,
of the voters he anticipates will in
one way or another have an affili-
ation with the Delaware Volunteer
Fireman's Association. "We want
them to exercise their right to
vote," Barber said. Barber said
that following a meeting at the
Delaware State Fire School on
March I0, representatives from
throughout the state will have the
U'aining necessary to be temporary
voter registrars. Those represent-
ing Sussex are Clayton Yocum,
Greenwood; Jack Northam, Lau-
rel; Dottie Barber, Bethany
Beach; Margaret Justice, Mil-
lville; and Sally Stevenson, state
president of the ladies' auxiliary.
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