Dole Says He Won Washington's Caucuses

SEATTLE, Wash. (AllPolitics, March 7) -- The results of Washington's Tuesday caucuses are not yet certain, but that hasn't stopped the candidates from declaring victory.

"We believe Dole did win," Lance Henderson, Washington campaign director for Sen. Robert Dole (R-Kan.), told the Associated Press. Not so fast, protested Bruce Hawkins, an organizer for conservative commentator Pat Buchanan. "All of our counts show us winning," he told AP.

An AP tally, with 1,357 caucuses reporting on Wednesday, put Dole at 40 percent, Buchanan at 33 percent, publisher Malcolm S. "Steve" Forbes Jr. at 15 percent, talk-show host Alan Keyes at 8 percent and former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander at 2 percent. The Dole camp's numbers are similar, but Christian Coalition activists and Buchanan forces say Buchanan had pluralities in some areas.

The final results will not be known for another several days until all 5,000 caucus reports are received by county chairmen through the U.S. Postal Service. The state GOP will allocate half of Washington's 36 delegates based on the caucuses, and half based on the state's March 26 primary.

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