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March 5, 2008

Hillary Clinton knew 'little state would have a big voice'

Journal photo / Steve Szydlowski
Chelsea Clinton stopped to talk to the lunch crowd at Twin Oaks restaurant in Cranston Tuesday, as she campaigned in Rhode Island for a second time in a week.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, victorious in Rhode Island's primary Tuesday, said in a statement early Wednesday morning: “When I visited Rhode Island last Sunday, I said that this little state would have a big voice in this election."

She added: “I am so pleased and honored to have such broad and decisive support from the great state of Rhode Island.”

With 99 percent of the state's precincts reporting as of 12:20 a.m. Wednesday, Clinton wracked up 108,062 votes to Obama's 74,701, or 58 to 40 percent, according to unofficial state Board of Elections results.

On the Republican side, John McCain trounced Mike Huckabee and, nationally, McCain shored up his party's nomination.

The Clinton campaign said it carried out an "unprecedented voter outreach effort over the last three weeks," doing canvassing in each city and town, running more than a dozen phone banks and sending volunteers from 22 locations around the state.

Latinos for Hillary "activated Latino voters," while Women for Clinton put out a “10 to 1 challenge,” in which each member recruited 10 more members in support of Hillary's candidacy.

But the Clinton campaign didn't leave it all to the locals. Besides Hillary Clinton's own visit, her husband, former President Bill Clinton appeared at a rally on her behalf. And their daughter, Chelsea, visited Rhode Island twice in the past week -- on Friday and again on Primary Day.

U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who is a co-chairman of the state's Clinton campaign, stated that “voters reaffirmed tonight what we’ve been saying since the beginning: Rhode Island is squarely behind Senator Clinton."

U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin added: “Rhode Islanders know Senator Clinton is ready to lead, and will deliver real solutions to the challenges faced by so many Rhode Islanders.”

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 12:40 AM | Permalink

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