Advertisement
196 Republicans turn out to caucus
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · February 04, 2016


West Branch 1 chose Ted Cruz and Gower-Springdale went for Marco Rubio in the Republican caucuses Monday.


Exactly 100 people voted in WB1, with Cruz earning 38 percent, followed by Donald Trump with 24 percent, Ben Carson with 14 percent, Marco Rubio with 13 percent and Rand Paul with 5 percent to round out the top five vote-getters.

Carly Fiorina earned 3 percent, John Kasich had 2 percent and Rick Santorum had 1 percent. No other Republican candidates earned votes in WB1, which met at Town Hall.

Across the street, some 96 people crammed into the West Branch Fire Department/Police Department conference room, with Rubio earning 36.5 percent of the vote to take the win with Gower-Springdale caucus-goers.

Trump also took second here, with 21.9 percent, followed by Ted Cruz with 16.7 percent, Ben Carson with 14.6 percent and John Kasich with 3.1 percent to round out the top five.

Jeb Bush, Fiorina and Mike Huckabee each earned 2.1 percent and Rand Paul earned 1 percent. No other candidates earned votes from Gower-Springdale.

Unlike the Democrat caucus where people listening to persuasive arguments move from group to group until they decide whom they will support, the Republicans listen to speeches and then conduct a straw poll, marking their preferred candidate on a ballot, which is then counted.

At WB1, resident Jason Miller stood up on Cruz’s behalf and gave an impromptu speech that the junior senator from Texas fights “tirelessly” for Constitutional rights, human rights and religious rights.

“I’ve never in my life been so excited” for a candidate, he said. “And I ask you to join me.”

Resident Diana Borash spoke for Trump, saying that while many see him as “very controversial,” she feels the “political system is broken” and “all politicians lie.”

Borash said Trump has a “backbone” and could stand up to both terrorists and dictators. As a self-made billionaire, “he knows how a budget works,” she said, and would also clean up abuse by illegal immigrants who know how to access tax-subsidized health care.

“He may be a one-term president, but he’s not there to be liked,” she said. “He’ll get it done.”

West Branch 1 precinct chairman Wayne Frauenholtz said the night saw 28 new registrations.

“This is a big turnout” for the precinct, he said.