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P.O. Box 2959 - Little Rock, AR 72203 - 501-637-2004 - www.clark04.com
Hon. Benjamin F. Wilson, Chairman
District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics
441 Fourth Street,
N.W., Ste. 250 North
Washington, D.C. 20001
Dear Chairman Wilson:
I write to opt out of the District of Columbia non-binding
presidential primary to be held on January 13, 2004. Accordingly, I request that my name not be included on the presidential primary
ballot or in any announcement of candidates made by the Board pursuant
to D.C. Official Code § 1-1001.05(b)(2), as amended by the
Presidential Primary Petition and Filing Waiver Emergency Act of 2003
(`Emergency Act"). In the event this letter reaches you after the
Board has already announced a list of candidates, please consider this
letter to be my request to withdraw from the primary, pursuant to
paragraph (C) of the Emergency Act.
I make this request in order to comply with Rules l0A and 12H of the
Delegate Selection Rules of the Democratic National Committee. Rule
10A provides that "[n]o meetings, caucuses, conventions or
primaries which constitute the first determining stage in the
presidential nomination process [except for the Iowa precinct caucuses
and the New Hampshire primary] may be held prior to the first Tuesday
in February." Rule 1.2H states that "presidential candidates
should take all steps possible not to participate" in nonbinding
primaries. I am, of course, deeply committed to the needs of D.C.
voters (I will fight, for example, to restore to the, District's
delegate to the House of Representatives the right to vote on the
House floor she enjoyed during the 103rd Congress), and I will compete
for their support in the February 14 Democratic presidential caucuses.
Thank you very much for your attention to this matter. If, for
whatever reason, you believe you are unable to comply with my request
not to be listed on the January 13 primary ballot, please call my
campaign at 501-537-2004 and ask for Eli Segal.
Wesley K. Clark
General (ret.) U.S. Army
Paid for by Clark For President, Inc.
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EDWARDS FOR PRESIDENT, INC. P.O. Box 300034 RaIeigh, NC 27622-8034 888-292-2004 www.johnedwards2004.com
Mr. Benjamin Wilson
Chairman, D.C. Board of Elections 441 4th Street,
N.W.
Room 250-North
Washington, D.C. 20001
Dear Mr. Chairman:
In accordance with the recently amended D.C. Official
Code, Title 1-1001.05(b)(2), I am submitting this letter to you to
officially withdraw my name from consideration on your January 13, 2004
Presidential Primary Ballot.
I do so with great trepidation, because I firmly believe
the voters of the District of Columbia live in a hobbled democracy. It
is wrong that the citizens of Washington D.C. do not have an equal voice in our government. I am a
proud co-sponsor of the No Taxation Without Representation Act and
supporter of statehood for D.C.
However, the Rules and Bylaws Committee of the National
Democratic Party, under whose auspices I am competing for the Party's
2004 Presidential Nomination, have promulgated two specific Delegate
Selection Rules, which compel me to make this difficult decision:
(1) Rule 10A clearly specifies that the opening of the
window for states other than Iowa and New Hampshire to hold a primary or
caucus shall be February 3, 2004.
(2) Rule 12H specifically requires all Presidential
Candidates "to take all steps possible not to participate" in
non-binding, or so-called "beauty pageant" presidential
contests.
Thus, in the interest of abiding by National Democratic
Party rules, I must regretfully and formally ask you to not place my
name on your January 13, 2004 non-binding preferential ballot.
Having said that, I fully intend to compete, and compete
strenuously, for the votes of the Democrats of the District of Columbia
in your binding Presidential Preference Caucus on February 14, 2004, and
in the general election when I am the Democratic nominee. Please know
that with this request I in no way mean to signal any disrespect towards
you, the residents of the District, or the cause of D.C. voter rights.
Yours Very Truly
John Edwards
U.S. Senator, North Carolina
Paid for by Edwards for President, Inc. Contributions to
Edwards for President, Inc. are not deductible for federal income tax
purposes.
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GEPHARDT
www.DickGephardt2004.com
1620 L STREET, NW SUITE 600 WASHINGTON, DC 20036
202-448-9300 202-448-9399 FAX
November 6, 2003
VIA MESSENGER
Hon. Benjamin F. Wilson
Chairman
District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics 441
Fourth Street, N.W.
Room 250-North
Washington, D.C. 20001
RE: DC Presidential Primary
Dear Chairman Wilson:
I am writing to you to inform the DC Board of Elections
and Ethics in writing of my decision to opt out of the DC presidential
primary and withdraw my name from the DC presidential primary ballot, in
conformance with the recently enacted Presidential Primary Petition and
Filing Waiver Emergency Act of 2003.
I am following the rules of the Democratic National
Committee, which provide that no presidential primary, other than that
of New Hampshire, may be held prior to the first Tuesday in February
(Rule 1 OA), and that "presidential candidates should take all
steps possible not to participate" in non-binding presidential
preference events (Rule 12H). I am following these Democratic Party
rules across the board and will not participate in any presidential
primary prior to the first Tuesday in February other than New Hampshire,
or in any non-binding presidential primary or straw poll at any time
I will compete as strong as I can for the support of DC
Democrats in the DC Democratic presidential caucuses on February 14, 2003 in accordance
with the DC delegate selection plan, and will work side by side with DC citizens and
elected officials, after I am elected to the White House, to make
statehood for the :District of Columbia not just a goal, but a reality.
Sincerely,
Dick Gephardt
PAID FOR BY GEPHARDT FOR PRESIDENT, INC.
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519 C St., NE Washington, DC 20002 202.548,6800
202.548.6801 fax
197 Portland St. 3rd Floor Boston, MA 02114 617.367.1551
617.523.2033 fax
www.johnKerry.com
November 6, 2003
Benjamin F. Wilson
District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics,
Chairman 441 Fourth Street, NW
Suite 250 North
Washington, DC 20001
Dear Chairman Wilson:
On behalf of John Kerry and John Kerry for President
Inc., please accept this letter as my formal notification that John
Kerry will not participate in the District of Columbia's January 13,
2004 non-binding primary election. I therefore request that, pursuant to
Section 5(b)(2)(C) of the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955, as
amended, his name be withdrawn from the list of "generally
advocated for or recognized" candidates whose names will appear on
the ballot.
Senator Kerry is obligated by rules 12.Hl and 10.A2 of
the Democratic National Committee Delegate Selection Rules for the 2004
Democratic National Convention not to participate in this non-binding
primary. He fully intends to participate, of course, in the District of
Columbia's binding caucus in February 2004.
John Kerry has long been a champion of the citizens of
the District of Columbia in their quest for statehood-from cosponsoring
the 1987 "New Columbia Admission Act" to the "No Taxation
Without Representation Act of 2003."
1 "[P]residential candidates should take all steps
possible to not participate" in a non-binding presidential reference event. Rule 12.H Democratic National Committee
Delegate Selection Rules (2004).
"No meetings, caucuses, conventions or primaries
which constitute the first determing stage in the presidential
nomination process... may be held prior to the first Tuesday in
February...." Rule 10.A Democratic National Committee Delegate
Selection Rules (2004).
Contributions or gifts to John Kerry for President, Inc.
are not deductible for federal tax purposes.
Paid for by John Kerry for President, Inc.
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P.O. Box 967
Arlington, VA 22216
Phone: 703-894-2004
Fax: 703-894-0770 |
1195 Elm Street
Manchester, NH 03101
Phone: 603-669-2004
Fax: 602-644-4562 |
November 6, 2003
Benjamin F. Wilson, Chair
District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics 441
Fourth Street, N.W.
Suite 250 North
Washington, D.C. 20001
Dear Chairman Wilson,
I am writing you today with regard to the upcoming
District of Columbia Democratic Primary to be held on January 13, 2004.
Specifically, this letter addresses section 2 01 the Presidential
Primary Petition and Filing Waiver Emergency Act of 2003 ("the
Act"). Pursuant to that Section, I am notifying you in writing of
my decision to opt out of the January 13, 2004 District of Columbia
Democratic Primary and withdraw my name from the ballot.
While I have always supported the District of Columbia's
fight for equal representation, a decision has been made to respect the
Democratic National Committee's rules that preserve the structure of the
primary calendar, specifically Rules 1 OA and 1211, that state that no
presidential primary, other than New Hampshire's, may be held prior to
the first Tuesday in February, and that presidential candidates refrain
from participating in non-binding presidential primaries or straw polls,
respectively.
I appreciate the work of all involved in their efforts to
gain full representation for the citizens of the District. I have a long
record of always standing with your constituents, as evidenced by my
first speech on the floor of the Connecticut Senate in 1979 that
addressed the plight of the District's citizens' lack of equal voting
rights. In that vein, I intend to participate in the February 14, 2004
Democratic Caucuses and I look forward to working in the District as the
Democratic nominee to fight for its three electoral votes.
Sincerely,
Joseph L. Lieberman
cc: Mayor Anthony Williams
Council of the District of Columbia
District of Columbia Democratic State Committee
Paid for by Joe Lieberman for President, Inc.
Contributions to Joe Lieberman for President, Inc are not
tax deductible.
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