Local Republican caucus receives national media attention
The snow, cold, and lack of parking did not keep people away from BRE. CNN reporter Jim Spellman was on site throughout the evening with venue manager Keri Brehm.
By Amy Shanahan
Buffalo Ridge Elementary (BRE) was host to the recent Republican caucus, which set new attendance records for local precincts, as well as attracted the attention of local and national media. Districts 5 and 6 were the two districts represented, with a total of six precincts under their jurisdiction.
The evening was highlighted by unprecedented attendance on the part of local Republican voters. Precinct 263, which is made up of homes in Castle Pines Village north of Happy Canyon, had the largest turnout with 115 attendees.
Charcee Russell, one of the precinct committee people who ran the caucus meeting for Precinct 263 remarked, “When I attended my first caucus meeting, we only had seven people turn up in a neighbor’s living room, and look at us now!”
Douglas County as a whole set new records, as 5,835 voters attended caucus meetings on Tuesday, February 7, with more voters turning out than for the entire state of Maine the following Saturday.
A great deal of attention was paid to the attendees at BRE, as the event was covered by local media, and also by CNN – with coverage via a live broadcast featuring the results of the evening. Keri Brehm, one of the two district captains, was also the venue manager for BRE.
Each precinct conducted a Presidential Straw Poll, and Brehm had the duty of reporting to the Douglas County Republican headquarters as soon as the results from the precincts were tabulated. Those results were then reported to the State Party and the media.
In addition to the Presidential Straw Poll, each precinct put forth resolutions to be compiled for the Republican Party platform, and several local candidates for office visited the meetings, stating their platforms and connecting with voters.
Precincts also elected delegates to attend the upcoming County Assembly. “I am a fan of the caucus process because it truly is representative government at the most personal and grass-roots level,” remarked Brehm. “The beauty is that we elect our own neighbors to represent us to the higher assemblies. During the often-times lively discussions, there is an opportunity to really get to know who we are voting for, and whether that person’s views truly line up with ours.”
To learn more about the results of the caucus, go to www.gop.org, and to see the CNN coverage, go to the Douglas County School District website at www.dcsdk12.org and click on “News.” The story is posted under “CNN, Denver Post broadcast live from Buffalo Ridge Elementary”
