To: Raymond Duray who wrote (7576 ) 12/14/2003 7:44:48 AM From: Glenn Petersen Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 10965 Survey: Democratic Leaders Prefer Dean story.news.yahoo.com Sun Dec 14, 1:50 AM ET LOS ANGELES - Howard Dean (news - web sites) is the top choice for Democratic Party leaders, enjoying more than twice the support of his closest rivals for the presidential nomination, according to a Los Angeles Times poll posted on its Web site Saturday. Dean was favored by 32 percent of the members of the Democratic National Committee (news - web sites) surveyed, followed by Rep. Dick Gephardt (news - web sites) of Missouri at 15 percent and Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), of Massachusetts, at 14 percent. Other results showed retired Gen. Wesley Clark (news - web sites) with 7 percent, Sen. John Edwards with 5 percent, Sen. Joe Lieberman (news - web sites) with 3 percent and Carol Moseley Braun with 1 percent. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (news - web sites) and Al Sharpton had less than one percent. Twenty-two percent were unsure who they would choose. The Times survey, taken between Dec. 4 and Dec. 11, involved interviews with 327 of 386 selected DNC members. Not interviewed were those who traditionally stay neutral until the party's nomination is made, such as national Chairman Terry McAuliffe. It also did not include committee members living abroad. The survey showed a marked change from a November 2002 survey that found Dean placing fifth out of 10 potential candidates among DNC members. More than half those questioned didn't know who the former Vermont governor was. The committee is composed of about 450 local and state party leaders, most of whom will help select the party's official candidate at the Democratic National Convention next July and who control the party's money and message in communities across the nation.