Pa. primary reaffirms expectation

The state's 19 electoral votes constitute the fifth-largest prize in November.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Upstaged by states with earlier primaries and caucuses, Pennsylvania's presidential primary provided only symbolic significance to everyone except the scores of party activists who were elected as delegates to this summer's national nominating conventions.
U.S. Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee since mid-March, easily prevailed over four other candidates and former candidates Tuesday.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Kerry had 579,031 votes, or 74 percent. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean had 79,366 votes, or 10 percent; Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina had 76,519 votes, or 10 percent; U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio had 30,230 votes, or 4 percent; and Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr. had 17,907 votes, or 2 percent.
President Bush was unopposed in the Republican primary.
Kerry issued a statement thanking Pennsylvania Democrats for their support.
"Together we will build a stronger America," he said.
The parties will formally bestow their nominations at the Democratic National Convention in Boston in late July and the Republican National Convention in New York City in late August and early September.
Battleground state
Pennsylvania is one of several important battlegrounds in the presidential race, and its 19 electoral votes constitute the fifth-largest prize in the general election. President Bush has visited the state 27 times since taking office, and Kerry also is quickly becoming a familiar face. Kerry campaigned in western Pennsylvania on Monday and plans appearances Thursday in Harrisburg and Philadelphia.
A poll released last week showed Bush leading in a prospective three-way general-election race with 45 percent of the vote, compared with 39 percent for Democrat Kerry and 8 percent for consumer activist Ralph Nader, who is running as an independent. Without Nader, Bush would hold a 46-42 lead over Kerry, according to the independent poll by Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.
The practical effect of Tuesday's balloting was to elect many of the convention delegates, who are selected according to separate sets of rules adopted by each party.
Democrats elected 98 of the 178 delegates who will represent the state in Boston. The Democratic State Committee will choose the last 56 delegates June 5.
Republicans were choosing 62 of their 72 delegates Tuesday. The other 10 will be selected by the Republican State Committee, also June 5.
It was not immediately clear whether any of the other Democrats won at least 15 percent of the vote in any congressional district, which would entitle them to at least one delegate. Dean and Edwards, the top two runners-up, however, both endorsed Kerry after they dropped out of the race.
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