PRESIDENTIAL RACE Valley lacks support for Kerry

John Kerry attracted little interest from delegates three months ago.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- When local Democrats selected representatives in January to the party's national convention, the number of people interested in being delegates for U.S. Sen. John Kerry was so few that he couldn't get enough support to fill out his slate in the congressional districts that include the Mahoning Valley.
Actually, Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, did the worst of any candidate who filed to run in the Ohio primary in the January caucus. He did so bad that 17 of the state's 18 congressional districts have to hold post-primary delegation selection meetings at 6 p.m. Thursday, where Kerry supporters will select his delegates to the convention.
The amount of interest in representing Kerry was minimal earlier this year. Back in January, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean was the favorite, and there were numerous candidates fighting it out to be his delegates. Things have changed since then.
Dozens of people are interested in jumping on Kerry's bandwagon now, and have filed forms with the Ohio Democratic Party to serve as his delegates.
17th District
In the 17th Congressional District, which includes parts of Mahoning and Trumbull counties, only two people were candidates in January to be Kerry delegates; both received votes from all 12 people who participated in the Kerry caucus.
The district was allocated three male delegate slots, four female slots and a male alternate for all candidates.
The number of delegates is based on Democratic voter turnout in each congressional district, with the 17th District having the second most of any congressional district in the state.
Based on results of the March 2 primary, Kerry is entitled to one more male delegate, one more female delegate and a male alternate delegate in the 17th. About 30 people are vying for those three spots.
The 17th District meeting will be at the Niles Middle School, where those delegates will be selected.
The delegates selected from each congressional district are divided based on the primary results. As the winner of the primary, Kerry received the most delegates.
Edwards' delegates
Even though U.S. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina is out of the race, he received enough votes to have one male and two female delegates from the 17th; he won Trumbull County.
Edwards had three males and three females as his delegates from the district, so the top male and top two female vote-getters for him in the district are invited to the party convention.
Edwards could release his delegates to vote for Kerry before the convention, said Greg Hicks, 17th District caucus chairman. If he doesn't do that, his delegates must vote for him during the first round of choosing a Democratic presidential candidate at the party's convention, Hicks said.
Kerry has enough delegates to wrap-up the nomination during the first round of voting. But if he didn't, Edwards' delegates have the right to change their vote during a second round of voting, Hicks said.
In the 6th Congressional District's pre-primary delegate selection, Kerry supporters selected three male delegates, including Mahoning County Commissioner Ed Reese, but no female delegates. Based on turnout there, Kerry is entitled to two male, one female and a female alternate.
That district, which includes Columbiana County and a portion of Mahoning County, was given three male delegate slots, two female positions and a female alternate slot.
Kerry still needs to fill one female delegate spot and the female alternate position. Six women filed to run for the spots.
Also, Edwards is entitled to one male and one female delegate. He has one male delegate from the 6th, but no female delegates. Two women will run for that delegate spot during the 6th District caucus at a Jefferson County middle school.
skolnick@vindy.com