Saratoga County GOP mobilizes for election

County GOP mobilizes for election
Ballston Spa-- Republicans call party members in effort for stronger Bush victory
By KENNETH C. CROWE II, Staff writer
First published: Monday, September 13, 2004
Times Union

Saratoga County Republican Committee activists spent the summer on the phones looking for party members committed to backing President Bush's re-election bid in an effort to increase his margin of victory in the county.

Even though the GOP has a 2-1 enrollment edge over the Democrats, that has not always produced an easy win in the presidential election. In 2000, Bush beat Democratic candidate Al Gore by a margin of 3,264 votes. Bush took the county 46,623 to 43,359.

This time, the county Republican organization is trying to increase the margin, even though U.S. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts is expected to win New York state in the presidential election. The committee has called 21,000 Republican households preparing for the Nov. 2 election, said Tom Lewis, the committee's executive director.

"We were identifying George Bush supporters, so that we can can mount a concerted effort to get our base out to vote. There's so much support and excitement for the people who like George Bush," Lewis said.

Of those 21,000 phone calls made by about 250 party loyalists, the committee spoke to 9,000 people, Lewis said. Of those, 6,500 back Bush, he said....

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