"Impressive" turnout in Bristol for presidential showdown

In the largest turnout for a presidential primary in the city’s history, Bristol voters threw their support behind Republican John McCain and Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Over 40 percent of the 18,749 eligible voters in the city – Democrats and Republicans, but no independents – cast a ballot despite rainy, foggy weather Tuesday.
“That’s impressive,” said Art Mocabee, the city’s Republican Party chief.
In the hottest contest of the day in Democrat-dominated Bristol, Clinton grabbed 57 percent of the vote compared to Barack Obama’s 41 percent.
“That’s close in this town,” said Mayra Sampson, a former city Democratic chairwoman who backed Obama.
Standing in the mist outside Stafford School, Rick Centoni said he'd come to cast a vote for U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York."She's more qualified than anyone else," Centoni said.But, he said, he's impressed with Obama also and hopes that Clinton will tap him for her vice presidential running mate."They'd be a good ticket," Centoni said.At Greene-Hills School, Brian Brady said he's a registered Democrat, but never votes for them in the general election because the party isn't what it was.He said he voted for Clinton because he viewed her as the weaker candidate for the Democrats."I figured that would flip the burger to the cheesy side," he said, and perhaps help the GOP win in November.His wife, Kathy Brady, wasn't so calculating.She said she voted for Obama because "he represents change."
On the GOP side, McCain garnered 46 percent of the vote while Mitt Romney, his closest challenger, got 33 percent. Mike Huckabee snagged 11 percent.
"I'm happy," said Bristol city Councilor Mike Rimcoski, a McCain backer. "I think he'll lock it up tonight."
Registrars reported they were busy all day but had no problems at the polls aside from the number of independents who showed up hoping to vote.
City Clerk Therese Pac said she believes the turnout was higher than any previous presidential primary in Bristol.
But Terry Parker, an election official at Greene-Hills, said that municipal primaries sometimes attract more voters. A mayoral showdown in the 1970s between Frank Longo and Don Cassin drew a 57 percent turnout for a primary, he said.
Overall, there were 6,453 votes cast in the Democratic primary and 1,628 votes in the Republican primary. That means that a little less than half the Democrats in town voted Tuesday while only about a third of Republicans did.
The final tally indicates that McCain got 750 votes while Romney secured 547. Huckabee had 184 while Ron Paul collected 84.
On the Democratic side, Clinton rounded up 3,681 votes while Obama trailed with 2,588.
In both parties, a smattering of people voted for candidates who have dropped out or they picked uncommitted. The only other active candidate on the ballot, former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel, got nine votes.

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Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com