August 19, 2004: Headlines: COS - El Salvador: Politics: Election2004 - Kefalas: The Coloradoan: Democrats Bill Bertschy and El Salvador RPCV John Kefalas will be campaigning together in the coming weeks as they hope to maintain momentum until the last ballot is counted -- and, possibly in this case, recounted
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August 19, 2004: Headlines: COS - El Salvador: Politics: Election2004 - Kefalas: The Coloradoan: Democrats Bill Bertschy and El Salvador RPCV John Kefalas will be campaigning together in the coming weeks as they hope to maintain momentum until the last ballot is counted -- and, possibly in this case, recounted
Democrats Bill Bertschy and El Salvador RPCV John Kefalas will be campaigning together in the coming weeks as they hope to maintain momentum until the last ballot is counted -- and, possibly in this case, recounted
Democrats Bill Bertschy and El Salvador RPCV John Kefalas will be campaigning together in the coming weeks as they hope to maintain momentum until the last ballot is counted -- and, possibly in this case, recounted
Dems join forces, await winner
By MATTHEW BENSON
MattBenson@coloradoan.com
Interested?
Democrats John Kefalas and Bill Bertschy will be campaigning together for state House District 52 on Saturday. The two will be at a forum from 10 to 11 a.m. at Bagel Makers, 2601 S. Lemay Ave. They'll also appear publicly at 2:30 p.m. at a booth at NewWestFest.
But the Democratic primary in state House District 52 has been no ordinary race.
Still without a confirmed winner from the Aug. 10 election, Democrats Bill Bertschy and John Kefalas will be campaigning together in the coming weeks as they hope to maintain momentum until the last ballot is counted -- and, possibly in this case, recounted.
"Whoever wins, we want that person to be in the best position possible to go forward to the general election in November," said Kefalas, a community activist and lobbyist for Catholic Charities Northern. "Even though we were opposed in the primary, we're united in trying to win the District 52 seat for Democrats."
He's clinging to a two-vote lead over Bertschy, but there are 22 Democratic provisional ballots from the district that have yet to be figured into the vote total. In addition, 60 absentee ballots remain, as well as an additional 25 that must have their signatures verified.
Both candidates have said not knowing a winner places them at a fund-raising and campaigning disadvantage compared with incumbent Rep. Bob McCluskey, a Fort Collins Republican.
"Any time you face an incumbent, there's a built-in advantage there -- especially as far as fund raising. It's going to be an uphill battle for whoever is successful here," said Bertschy, a member of Fort Collins City Council. "We really need each other's supporters if we're going to be successful in November."
Bertschy and Kefalas will campaign together Saturday as they attend a morning candidate forum at Bagel Makers, 2601 S. Lemay Ave.; meet with members of the Northern Colorado Labor Council in Windsor; and man a booth at NewWestFest that afternoon.
Plans also are in the works for additional joint campaigning the following weekend, Kefalas said.
In the meantime, Larimer County election officials are working to finalize primary results for the race.
The county's results must be certified by Aug. 25, but elections manager Jan Kuhnen said they might be ready a day earlier. A recount would be necessary if the margin between candidates is less than or equal to half of 1 percent of the votes for the top vote-getter in the race.
The Secretary of State's Office has until Sept. 1 to call for a recount, which would involve forming a recount committee and rerunning the ballots through the machines.
The results for the race must be known by Sept. 8, the deadline for certification of the county's November ballot.
Originally published Thursday, August 19, 2004
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Story Source: The Coloradoan
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