Democrat rally in Beekman organized by Angela Valles

BEEKMAN- Dutchess County Democrats are on the move to “Turn Dutchess Blue” before this year’s Election Day, and they’re getting help from an array of local candidates and incumbent public officials.

“According to the Board of Elections, we are approximately 1,000 registered Democrats away from being a Democratic county for the first time. So if we can empower (150) people to go out into their local communities and register 10 voters, together we can make this happen,” said local Democrat organizer Angela Valles.

Valles and several dozen other volunteers packed Beekman Town Hall Saturday to increase voter registration in the county, and bring the number of registered Democrats in the county to record highs, and, surpass the number of Republican registrants.

The “Turn Dutchess Blue” campaign offered gift bags containing campaign literature, buttons, bumper stickers, and voter registration forms, in hopes that volunteers would help spread the word of Democrats.

“It doesn’t matter how old you are, or how much you have been involved, you can always get more involved,” said 19th District Congressman John Hall, who is up for re-election this year. “Now’s the time to speak out. Call the radio stations, write letters, make sure people know the truth, because the truth is going to take us to victory in November.”

Other candidates from around the county, including Anne Ruben, running for the 103rd Assembly District seat against Republican incumbent Marcus Molinaro, and Jonathan Smith, currently in a primary with Gary Levine for the chance to battle Republican incumbent Joel Miller for the 102nd Assembly seat, also spent the day at the rally encouraging voter registration, as well as Democratic support.

Democrats on the scene were not deterred by recent actions by national Republicans, which included the nomination of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as their vice presidential candidate.

Democrat volunteer and Barack Obama supporter Michael Kasper added, “She’s a new face on the national scene, people are interested in her, but I think that once people get to know her, they’ll see that she’s just another George Bush Republican and we don’t need that in the White House.”