Democrats pack assembly

El Paso County Democrats have joked that they live in the belly of the beast, a light-hearted take on being liberal in one of the most conservative counties in the state.

So even they seemed surprised to see about 2,000 of their own at Saturday’s county assembly at Palmer High School, most of them firsttime delegates and alternates.

The political regulars relished the packed classrooms full of alternates, who sat in student desks waiting to hear if they would be called to fill vacancies — an unlikely occurrence with delegates in a standing-room-only auditorium.

Delegates chosen at the assembly will go on to represent El Paso County at the state and national Democratic conventions. Registration was pushed back an hour and a half to 10:30 a.m. to accommodate lines of people stretching a couple of hundred feet from the doors to the street corner.

“It would be vacant, and we’d be halfway through business (in a normal year),” said Karen Teja, a party regular who was helping serve bagels and coffee to shivering participants. This year, though, caucuses with normally just a few people ended up with dozens.

Rep. Michael Merrifield, D-Manitou Springs, joked in a speech that when he saw the crowd outside as he drove by he thought he must have confused the location. Later he drew cheers when he said, “We’re going to have to move our assemblies to the World Arena!”

The turnout was characterized as “historic” by local party chairman John Mor- ris, and he was hopeful that the day might bring candidates to run in even normally unopposed local races.

He said more than 8,000 people showed up at caucuses on Super Tuesday on Feb. 5.

The droves of Democrats came in part from the showdown between Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton for the party’s nomination.

Professionally made blue signs for Clinton competed for wallspace with handdrawn signs for Obama splashed with brightly colored marker.

Some in attendance were motivated by the issues such as a sluggish economy, the Iraq war and health care costs.

Others said they got involved this year because of the Obama buzzwords: change and hope.

Few of the newcomers knew much about local and state races.

Several participants said they’ve traditionally been lowkey about politics and found it refreshing to see so many likeminded voters in one place and so involved.

“It’s almost like coming out of the closet,” said Brooke Squires, an alternate registrar and precinct chair rooting for Clinton.

Barbara Thummalapally, also an alternate registrar, said she was a friend of Obama in college and believes in his ideas. This was her first year to caucus.

For retired telecom worker Essie Hunter, the prospect of a black or woman president was exciting enough to bring her to a caucus, where she was elected a delegate.

Standing in line to register in the cold Saturday, she was surprised to find herself in such a long line. “I didn’t know there were this many Democrats in here,” she said about the area.

Another woman, Jennifer Roberts, said her caucus wanted her to support John Edwards, who dropped out of the race, in hopes that support for him might help if he were to be considered for vice president.

This year’s state convention will be held at World Arena and the national convention in Denver.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0198 or bnewsome@gazette.com

OFFICE RUN

A retired Air Force officer announced at El Paso County’s Democratic Assembly on Saturday that he plans to run for the Fifth Congressional District seat currently held by Rep. Doug Lamborn.

Lt. Col. Hal Bidlack said he will officially announce his candidacy April 2, but he used Saturday’s event to give a speech to hundreds of party delegates and ask for their support in running for a seat long-held by the GOP.

OBAMA LEADS

El Paso County, with 390 delegates, heavily favored Barack Obama in Saturday’s assembly. Of that total, Obama won 271 delegates and Hillary Rodham Clinton received 119 delegates.

Senate candidate Mark Udall won all 390 delegates after Mark Benner and uncommitted voters failed to reach a viability threshhold of 10 percent.

JOHN MORRIS, EL PASO COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN