Easy victory for Kerry

Sunday, 8 February 2004 12:00 AM

Senator John Kerry has achieved easy victories in the latest state caucuses to find a Democrat challenger to President Bush. He secured about 50% of the vote in Washington state and Michigan, beating Howard Dean into second place.

With nine wins from the first 11 primaries and caucuses, Mr Kerry's victory speech largely ignored his five rivals for the nomination.

Two Kerry rivals, Wesley Clark and John Edwards, did not target Washington, focusing instead on southern polls on Tuesday. But opinion polls there suggest Mr Kerry will do well in both Virginia and Tennessee where voters go to the polls in two days.

One-time front-runner Howard Dean has said he will withdraw from the race if he does not win the Wisconsin ballot on 17 February.

Mr Kerry's victories lengthened his lead over his rivals in the number of delegates pledged to vote for him at the party's convention. His showing swelled his total to 290, with Dean at 132, Edwards at 110 and Clark at 82.

On Friday, Mr Kerry's campaign was boosted when he received the backing of former party rival Dick Gephardt. Mr Gephardt's close links with trade unions may help Mr Kerry in states such as Michigan, which has a strong industrial base and has suffered job losses.

Vietnam war veteran Mr Kerry said on Saturday he was looking forward to the fight in the southern states. "I'm not worried about coming down South and talking to people about jobs and schools and health care and the environment," he told supporters at a rally at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.

"George Bush's days are numbered, and change is on its way," he told a Democratic dinner in Virginia.

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