DNC Chair

The Eastern Regional Caucus for the DNC was today, the last forum for the candidates before the vote on February 10-12 and a chance for our Maine DNC members to meet them and hear their plans for the party. DNC Committeeman Sam Spencer will be writing a report on the convention on his blog. (Where you can now read comments made by Donnie Fowler and Simon Rosenberg as well as Howard Dean). Maine DNC member Jennifer DeChant will be there as well, and like Sam and Marianne Stevens, she still has an open mind. She wrote in a recent email:

As you may know, there is Eastern Regional Meeting of the DNC this weekend in NYC. I am going to attend. At this point, I am undecided. I am gathering information and feedback. Please let me know your thoughts.

If any of Maine's DNC members want their voice to be heard, now is probably the best time to endorse a candidate. Here's how the race stands right now via MyDD via The Hotline:

	Votes	Percentage (50% + 1 needed)
Howard Dean	48	10.5
Martin Frost	15	4
Wellington Webb	10	2.5
Donnie Fowler	9	2
Simon Rosenberg	4	1
Tim Roemer	4	1
David Leland	2	0.5

Ickes backed Dean today.

"I think all the candidates who are running have strong attributes, but Dean has more of the attributes than the others," said Ickes, who considered running for chairman himself before dropping out in early January. "Many people say Howard Dean is a northeastern liberal, he is progressive, but his tenure as governor of Vermont was that of a real moderate."

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