Heavy advertising and
door to door canvassing turned
out Democratic vote in County

Radio advertising and canvassing by Democratic organizations succeeded in turning out a strong vote for Democratic candidates in Santa Cruz County post-election analysis of voting returns indicates. The County cast 59% of its votes for John Kerry and John Edwards - second only to Navajo County in the percentage of support for the Democratic candidates.

Voter registration efforts by all parties and organizations in Santa Cruz County before the November 2 general election yielded a significant increase in the number of eligible voters but Get Out the Vote efforts appear to have been less successful.

Those conclusions are based on analysis of the County's voting statistics by Arizona Borderlands Democrats, a Democratic Party club whose members live primarily in Patagonia, Sonoita and Elgin.

Voter registration soared by 18% overall to total 20,794 County residents the County Recorder reports. The most significant increase came in the number of voters registering as Independents. That number increased by 1,153 to total 4,494 going into the election. That is greater than the number of Republican registrations. Democratic registration increased 13% to total 12,040.

Turnout at the election was in line with the past three General Elections. The 56% total turnout contrasts with 57% in 2000, 55% in 1996 and 43% in 1992. Vote for the Democratic nominee at 59% was exceeded only by the percentage of voters choosing former President Bill Clinton in his second run for office Ð 64% in 1996. In 2000 55% of the voters chose Al Gore and in 1992 only 43% voted for Clinton.

More than 1,000 radio advertisements urged Santa Cruz County voters to support Kerry. Arizona Borderlands Democrats sponsored the Spanish language ads on three Nogales radio stations Ð one station in Nogales, AZ and three stations in Nogales, Sonora.

Door to door canvassing was organized by representatives from both the Coordinated Kerry/Edwards and the Grijalva campaigns supported by the Santa Cruz County Democratic party and Arizona Borderlands Democrats. Canvassing focused on Nogales precincts. Voters in those precincts favored the Kerry/Edwards candidacy by 66%.

"The challenge we face now is to maintain the momentum created in the months before the general election to strengthen and enlarge the Santa Cruz County Democratic Party," said John Michael, co-chair of the Get Out the Vote Committee for Arizona Borderlands Democrats.

"We all look forward to working with County Chairman Cathy Garino to increase the number of precinct committee persons so that all precincts have a Democratic presence all the time and other steps that will increase future Democratic vote tallys," he added.

The County party will hold a meeting sometime before the end of the year to elect officers and plan activities from now building to an even more successful effort in the 2006 elections.

For further information contact:
John Michael 520.455.5975