Despite close race for mayor, Dean didn't endorse Democrat Newsom

By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer
Last Updated 6:05 p.m. PST Friday, December 12, 2003

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Democratic Mayor-elect Gavin Newsom collected endorsements from an assortment of Democratic heavyweights, including former President Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore and many of the party's presidential candidates, in his tight runoff race against Green Party candidate Matt Gonzalez.

But one high-flying Democrat remained conspicuously absent from that list - former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, the front-runner for the party's 2004 presidential nomination.

While Rep. Dick Gephardt, Sens. Joe Lieberman, John Edwards and John Kerry and retired Gen. Wesley Clark lent Newsom their support and endorsements before the Dec. 9 runoff, Dean "basically ignored us," said Jim Ross, a Newsom strategist.

"I don't think they said 'No, we aren't going to endorse him,'" Ross said. "I do think (Dean) was worried about losing support from people who were supporting Gonzalez."

In recent days, Dean has used his star power to help other Democrats. He raised $51,000 in a single day for Iowa Rep. Leonard Boswell, who is in a tough re-election battle, and will appear at a fund-raiser for the Democratic National Committee in Los Angeles next Monday.

"It's important to signal to Democrats in Washington and other places that this grassroots support of ours can and will build a much stronger party," Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi told reporters last week.

So why did Dean elect to stay out of the closely watched San Francisco mayoral contest, where a Democratic defeat would have been a huge embarrassment for a party still reeling from the loss of the governor's office to Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger?

"We generally try to stay out of local races because they can be complicated - you got lots of people on different sides," said Jude Barry, Dean's California state director. "It's generally a smart thing for national campaigns to stay out of local races."

Barry said Dean had decided to help the Boswell race "because it is federal, and it is Iowa."

Iowa will hold the party's first presidential nominating contest Jan. 19.