Democrats try new strategies

The Democratic Party is overhauling its outreach and vote-getting strategies.

Newly-elected National Democratic Chairman Terry McAuliffe, in town Wednesday to attend a DNC fund-raiser attended by former President Bill Clinton, announced the changes, being made in an attempt to expand the party's voter base.

"We want to get the message out that we're no longer here just for presidential elections. We want to be a national party that's available in every state for every election, up and down the ballot," McAuliffe said in an interview before speaking to supporters at the Painters Union hall.

McAuliffe, who was voted chairman in February 2001, noted several measures the Democratic Party is taking to expand its national voter base, including spending $10 million each on two projects to reach out to women and Hispanic voters.

McAuliffe also predicted that Democrats will win Nevada's new congressional seat with Clark County Commission Chairman Dario Herrera as a candidate, and that Mayor Oscar Goodman, who has not announced his attentions to run, would make a good candidate for governor. He called Goodman "a great leader with a strong record." Both elections will be in 2002.

According to Nevada Democratic Hispanic Caucus chairman Andres Ramirez, the state has 64,000 registered Hispanics. Of those, 67 percent are Democrats, he said.

McAuliffe also admitted that the Republicans were ahead of the Democrats in regard to voter information technology, and that another $10 million is being invested to on technology upgrades.