County, state choose Obama
By LARRY HILLIARD Ledger Staff Writer larry@gaffneyledger.com

Ledger photo / TIM GULLA Tim Hairston of Gaffney spent most of Saturday working the telephones to drum up support for Barack Obama in Saturday's Democratic Primary. On Saturday evening, he sat patiently in the Cherokee County Election Commission's office, tallying returns.

This time, county voters were in lockstep with their state brethren in picking a presidential primary winner.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama received 1,994 votes in Cherokee County to outdistance former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and N.Y.. Senator Hillary Clinton in Saturday's South Carolina Democrat Party Presidential Primary

Obama also had a big showing statewide, winning with 55 percent of the vote. Clinton finished second statewide with 27 percent and Edwards was a distant third with 18 percent.

Edwards fared better locally, likely because he was the lone presidential candidate to make a campaign stop here. Edwards drew about 600 people Wednesday to Limestone College. He got 1,491 votes in Cherokee County, topping Clinton's total of 1,231.

Three Democrat Party presidential hopefuls who dropped out of the race - Joe Biden, Chris Dood and Bill Richardson - each received three votes.

In the Republican Party primary on Saturday, Jan. 19, county voters liked Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee rather than South Carolina primary winner Arizona Sen. John McCain.

Local election officials were pleased with the turnout of nearly 19 percent - up 1 percent from the Republican Party primary.

For the presidential primaries, the number of polling places was decreased from 33 to 13. Except for some longer-than-usual lines at some sites, Turner said the consolidation of polling places due to a lack of poll workers went well.

"We didn't have any problems at all," Turner said. "Some people had to wait a little longer than normal, but everything went smoothly."