Turnout for Bernie Sanders was so high that votes had to be counted as citizens walked out the doors of the Swan Lake Senior Center on Saturday (03-26-15). (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)
Vermont senator Bernie Sanders swept the democratic primary caucus in Sitka on Saturday, with 77% of the crowd voting in his favor. The turnout at the Swan Lake Senior Center was a record high, roughly two times the size of the Obama-Clinton caucus in 2008.
Of the 273 caucus goers, 210 fanned out for Bernie Sanders and 52 for Hillary Clinton. 11 voted for visiting California democrat Rocky De La Fuente, who set up a table at the caucus, but that wasn’t enough votes to make him viable for delegates.
The District 35, which includes Petersburg, Craig, and Thorne Bay will send 14 delegates for Sanders and 4 delegates for Clinton to the State Convention May 13-15 in Anchorage.
Ten of those delegates are from Sitka. For Sanders, they are Eric Jordan, Dionne Brady Howard, Louise Brady, Larry Edwards, Martina Kurzer, Noah Galarza, Devin Tatro, and Edie Leghorn. For Clinton, they are Brian Hanson and Neil Christy.
Statewide, Bernie Sanders received 81%, or 440 state convention delegates. Hillary Clinton received 21% or 99 delegates.
We’ll have more on Raven news tonight at 5:18 p.m.
