Wednesday, March 3, 2004 | 9:08 a.m.
Local supporters of Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., were excited and relieved by their candidate's sweeping victories in Tuesday primary contests, which combined with the expected withdrawal of Kerry's top opponent appeared to secure Kerry's position as the Democratic Party nominee for president.
"It's another good night for the campaign and another good night for the party,"state Sen. Terry Care, D-Las Vegas, co-chairman of Kerry's Nevada campaign, said. "After tonight it's on to the convention in Boston and then on to the White House."
Care said that with Kerry as the presumptive Democratic nominee, the party was able to pick a candidate without damaging inter-party fights for the nomination. Now Democrats will come together with one purpose: To get rid of President George Bush, he said.
Kerry won nine of 10 contests on what is known as Super Tuesday, losing only in Vermont where voters gave their former governor Howard Dean his only primary victory. Kerry's strong showing is expected to lead fellow Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina to formally withdraw from the race today.
Care said Dean's victory in Vermont was "a salute from the hometown crowd that they appreciate the effort."
As for Kerry apparently locking up the nomination, Care said, "I can't say I was surprised, but at the same time I was somewhat relieved."
Erin Bilbray, director of the Kerry campaign's Nevada steering committee, also emphasized it was important for the party to be unified behind one candidate early. Bilbray said when she worked on former President Bill Clinton's campaign in 1992, the party didn't come together behind him until just before the party convention.
Care said he expects the race between Kerry and Bush to focus on jobs, the budget and health care issues. In Nevada, Care said he expects the economy and Yucca Mountain to be important issues with voters.
Bush told Nevadans he would base his decision on whether to turn Yucca Mountain into a nuclear waste dump on sound science. But then after winning the election he signed off on plans to bring nuclear waste to the site 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
"It was a slap in the face to Nevadans," Care said.
Kerry has opposed sending the waste to Yucca Mountain.
Bilbray said she expects the Yucca Mountain issue will turn Nevadans against Bush.
"He stabbed us in the back," she said.
"We know Nevada is going to be a battleground state and the issue that we're going to win Nevada on is Yucca Mountain," Bilbray said.
Bilbray and Care were among about 60 Kerry supporters who gathered Tuesday night at The Tap House on West Charleston Boulevard to watch the primary returns.
Another Kerry supporter at the gathering was John Patrick Abbott, 58, a retired office supply salesman and Vietnam veteran.
Abbott said he supports Kerry on issues including the economy and the deficit, and appreciates Kerry taking a stand on the Vietnam War when he returned home so many decades ago.
"The fact is that he opposed the war after he was there. He stood up for what he believed in," Abbott said.
Abbott said that while he will support Kerry no matter who he chooses as a running mate, Abbott said he likes Edwards' charisma.
Sam Lieberman, one of Edwards' campaign coordinators in Nevada, said he expects Edwards' supporters to switch support to Kerry -- saying their motto is "carry on for Kerry."
"I would like to see (Edwards) stay active in the public eye, talking about issues that concern Democrats," Lieberman said. "I think a Kerry-Edwards ticket would be very viable."
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