[Yakima Democrats] We Set All-Time Records at County Convention and FDR Dinner

[Yakima County Democrats]

  Yakima Democrats turned out in all-time record numbers Saturday for 
their 2008 County Convention and annual FDR Dinner in a show of strength 
and enthusiasm that bodes well for success in November elections.
A total of 534 folks signed in at the convention, but we estimated that 
attendance topped 600 when counting non-delegates and spectators who 
came to the Convention Center.
Convention delegates elected 28 delegates and 13 alternates for Barack 
Obama and18 delegates and 9 alternates for Hillary Clinton. Their next 
step is the 4th CD Caucus in Yakima's Clarion Hotel May 17.
Attendance at the annual FDR dinner that evening was 347 paid, said Ron 
Bonlender, event chair. It was the largest attendance at this spring 
fund-raiser exceeding the 2007 number by 225.
The Herald-Republic gave us great coverage in Sunday's paper and all 
three television stations sent reporters and cameras with KAPP-TV doing 
a live remote with Gov. Gregoire on the 6 o'clock news.
The newspaper didn't pick up on one noteworthy item that was posted on 
our Blog today:
* Gregoire Easily Defeats Rossi in Dueling Dinners’ Contest in Yakima 
County*.

To the roar of the record crowd at Saturday’s Yakima County Democratic 
Convention, it was announced that Governor Gregoire easily defeated 
challenger Dino Rossi when it came to ticket sales at county 
fund-raising dinners.
The score: Gregoire 347, Rossi 275.
Cheering erupted when Yakima Democratic Chair Paul George announced that 
347 tickets were sold for their annual FDR Dinner in the Convention 
Center, Saturday evening while only 275 turned out for the Yakima 
Republicans’ annual Lincoln Day Dinner, March 29.
George then zinged: “The score is indicative of what will happen to the 
governor's re-election opponent in November.”
Nearly 550 Democrats signed-in at the Convention to elect Obama and 
Clinton delegates to the State Convention in Spokane, June 14 and the 
4th Congressional District Caucus in Yakima May 17.
They elected 28 delegates for presidential candidate Senator Barack 
Obama and 18 for Senator Hillary Clinton. And they heard a great speech 
by George Fearing who is running hard to oust Congressman Doc Hastings.
Challenged to deliver 1,000 more votes countywide for Governor Gregoire 
than she received in 2004, Yakima Democrats have pledged to more than 
double than number.
The convention passed resolutions supporting comprehensive immigration 
reform, public campaign financing of local elections and passage of the 
Employee Free Choice Act that quickens the process of union certification.
Governor Gregoire in her headline speech, emphasized the achievements of 
her administration in health care, education, transportation, the $850 
million budget surplus and creation of a rainy day fund.
FDR diners also enjoyed speeches by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler 
and Peter Goldmark, candidate for commissioner of public lands. The 
three speakers came to Yakima after attending county conventions in 
other parts of the state that day.