Perot Wins Democratic Contest in N. Dakota on Write-In Vote

Texas billionaire Ross Perot, after running far behind in early returns, emerged as the winner of North Dakota’s “beauty contest” Democratic presidential primary Tuesday. Perot defeated the three minor candidates whose names were on the ballot.

Neither Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, the party’s presumptive nominee, nor any of his major foes were named on the ballot. Results of the contest have no bearing on the state’s convention delegation.

Perot, who is expected to launch an independent bid for the presidency, got 8,951 write-in votes, or 28% of the ballots cast in the Democratic race.

Among the candidates named on the ballot, Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr., who is serving a 15-year sentence in federal prison for tax fraud, got 7,083 votes, or 22%; Miami comedian Tom Shiekman had 4,890, or 16%, and Nevada millionaire Charles Woods had 6,669 votes, or 21%.

Clinton received 3,969 write-in votes, or 13% of the total.

Perot’s write-in tally was less impressive in the Republican presidential primary, which determined allocation of convention delegates. Perot received 3,452 write-in votes, or 7%, in the GOP contest.

President Bush won with 39,854 votes, or 84%. Comedian Pat Paulsen, the only other candidate named on the GOP ballot, got 4,107 votes, or 9%. The returns gave Bush all 17 delegates at stake on the Republican side.

North Dakota’s 15 Democratic delegates were allocated in party caucuses earlier this year.

Perot supporters had urged state voters to write in his name in either of the primaries. But in the aftermath of the Democratic contest, Jim Kissee, manager of the Perot campaign in North Dakota, played down the importance of the results.

“It’s nice to see, but it’s a long way to home base,” he said. “The real race--the important one--will be in November.”