Friday, July 4th, 2008

Three counties vote in Republican caucus, Huckabee wins

Long lines plague caucus with 873 participants

A crowded, but successful, Republican caucus brought hundreds of voters from three area counties.

By Francesca Chambers (Contact)

Monday, February 11th, 2008

Only 873 Douglas County Republicans caucused on Saturday at South Junior High School, compared with the 4,847 Lawrence Democrats who caucused on Tuesday. However, some voters still faced long lines and were unsatisfied with the Republican Party’s preparation for the event.

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee won the Kansas caucus with 60 percent of the state’s support.

Craig Campbell, chairman of the Douglas County Republican Party, said the party had planned on only Douglas County Republicans caucusing at South Junior High School, 2734 Louisiana St., until recently. It was after the location had been selected when Campbell was informed by Miami County’s Republican Party it would not have a caucus, he said, which forced Miami County Republicans to caucus at the school as well.

Campbell also said the Douglas County Republican Party did not expect Franklin County Republicans to show up to the caucus either, which is why voters had to caucus in shifts and the line to caucus looped through three hallways inside the school and the wait was more than an hour.

Campbell said despite the long line, he thought the caucus was a success. He said he was happy with the number of people who showed up, but the real test would be in November.

He also said he was not worried about irregularities in the caucus results, despite the fact that three counties caucused at the location. Republican voters who changed their registration to vote in the Democratic caucus were allowed to vote in the Republican caucus.

“Just from seeing the people, I would be very surprised that someone who was a Democrat would have got Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee stuff,” Campbell said, referring to apparel such as t-shirts and buttons. “They would have to be pretty committed to do that.”

Andy Wollen, a Lenexa resident who spoke on behalf of candidate John McCain at the caucus, said he thought voters who switched their registration to vote in the other party’s election were silly, but that he thought it was a real problem. He said in Johnson County the Republican Party has had problems with Democrats trying to sabotage the Republicans by voting for the crazy candidate so that the Democratic Party can win in the general election.

Jason Littlejohn, a Lawrence resident who spoke on behalf of candidate Ron Paul at the caucus, said he was also worried about election irregularities. He said the stickers that were given to voters to place on their ballots to distinguish their district were too common-looking. He said anyone could buy them from Home Depot. Campbell said they were actually from Wal-Mart.

Voters were also concerned about the lack of foresight the party had put into planning the caucus.

Matt Batzel, Susquehanna, Pa., law student, said if he had known he was going to have waited an hour to caucus, he would not have come.

“I’d rather vote in a primary and get it over with, especially with children,” Batzel said. “I’m used to filling out a ballot and leaving.”

His wife, Nikki, and his 16-month old son, Carson, accompanied Batzel. Batzel said he and his wife came to the caucus because they wanted their voices to be heard, even though they think McCain will win the nomination.

McCain won the largest number of delegates across the nation, but he did not win in Douglas County’s or Kansas’. Huckabee won 44 percent of the vote in Douglas County compared with McCain’s 28 percent. In Kansas, Huckabee won 60 percent, compared with McCain’s 24 percent, and was awarded all 36 of Kansas’ delegates. Both candidates rallied in Wichita on Friday.

Campbell said he thought fewer McCain supporters came to the caucus because they thought McCain was sure to win the nomination, especially after Mitt Romney’s concession on Thursday.

Wollen said the Kansas Republican Party decided to have a caucus in Kansas instead of a primary, because a primary would have cost the party $1.6 billion, whereas the Douglas County caucus only cost the local party about $225. Wollen said that in the past, the state legislature had budgeted money for the primaries, but this year it did not, because it did not think a Kansas primary would be influential enough. Wollen said that was why both parties had caucuses instead.

Not all voters were unhappy with the caucus. Hank Booth, Lawrence resident, said he had attended every Republican caucus in Douglas County since he had lived there and that he had not seen a caucus so contentious since Ford beat Reagan in 1976. Even then, not as many people came to the caucus. He said it was remarkable how many people, especially young people, came to both the Democratic and Republican caucuses.

— Edited by Jessica Sain-Baird

Discussion

All comments are moderated by Kansan.com staff. For our full user policy, click here.

111 Stauffer-Flint Hall • 1435 Jayhawk Blvd. • Lawrence, Kansas 66045 • (785) 864-4810