Kerry gets lawmaker endorsements; Clark telemarketing dispute settled

[Feanorcurufinwe]

Four Democratic state lawmakers and Kathi Gilmore, North Dakota's treasurer, endorsed John Kerry's presidential bid on Friday.

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said the campaign of another Democratic presidential candidate, Wesley Clark, had agreed to stop making prerecorded telephone calls to prospective voters in the run-up to Tuesday's caucuses. Stenehjem says earlier calls by the Clark campaign violated North Dakota's anti-telemarketing law, a contention the campaign disputed. The agreement does not concede any violation, and Stenehjem agreed not to seek any penalties.

Rep. Eliot Glassheim, D-Grand Forks, the House assistant minority leader, and House colleagues Lonny Winrich of Grand Forks and Mary Ekstrom of Fargo endorsed Kerry's campaign Friday, along with Sen. Tom Seymour, D-Minot.

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Two of North Dakota's three Democratic statewide officeholders, Gilmore and Wayne Sanstead, the superintendent of public instruction, have endorsed Kerry, who plans to campaign in Fargo on Sunday. The third, Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson, has not endorsed any of the seven Democratic presidential hopefuls.

A poll by The (Fargo) Forum newspaper and WDAY-TV of Fargo showed Kerry with 31 percent support among likely Democratic caucus participants, although 40 percent were undecided. Clark had support from 15 percent of those surveyed, while no other candidate exceeded 6 percent.


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