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March 12, 2000
Brown County DFLers meetGore is favoritein New Ulm precinct pollingBy TONY ZIEBOL Journal Staff Writer NEW ULM -- For the first time ever, both the DFL precinct caucuses and the DFL Brown County Convention were held the same day. About 30 people showed up at Jefferson Elementary's cafeteria for the New Ulm precinct caucus and the county convention. At the Brown County Convention, the majority were New Ulm residents, but Hanska, Springfield and Sleepy Eye were represented. The group, led by Laurie Sellner, Chair for the County DFL party, ratified the County Unit Constitution and elected four delegates and their alternates. Those elected will attend the Second Congressional District Convention, to be held April 9 in Wilmar, the State Convention, June 2-4 in Rochester, and bring some of the resolutions selected at the earlier precinct caucuses to the higher levels of state government. Sellner was pleased with the number of people wanting to get involved and go to the State Convention, as several more people volunteered than were needed. "We're not used to this -- having a contest race," Sellner said. "It's kind of nice, for once." Dale Snider, Campaign Manager for Congressman David Menge, stopped by to offer his support. He read a letter written by Menge, who couldn't be there due to so many conventions going on at the same time. With DFL presidential candidate Sen. Bill Bradley dropping out of the running, Al Gore was the overwhelming choice in the presidential preference poll conducted (although official county results were not released by the state as of Saturday night). Earlier at the precinct caucus, 9 out of ten New Ulm precincts were represented. In the voting there, Al Gore again was the favorite, receiving 17 votes to Bradley's 5. Two voters were uncommitted and two voted for an unknown candidate. The people gathered in the cafeteria spent the majority of the two hour meeting debating and voting for resolutions that were passed on to the County Convention. Topics covered that were important to the democrats presents were better healthcare for children, regardless of family income, cleaning up the Minnesota River, more funding for public education and opposing unicameralism at the state level, to name a few. According to the Associated Press, fifteen precinct caucuses will be held across the state Sunday. The DFL switched the meetings from Tuesday nights in hopes of increasing turnout. Party officials estimated turnout was 15,000 people Saturday, down from the 17,000 who participated in 1996 and 1998 caucuses. With 93 of 111 precincts reporting across the state, Gore had 74 percent of the votes to 12 percent for Bradley.
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