Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., can chalk up another three victories in the race to become the Democratic presidential nominee, and the countdown to Wisconsin's Feb. 17 primary has begun.
Kerry won Michigan and Washington's caucuses Saturday as well as Maine's Sunday. Howard Dean placed second in all three states. In Michigan, Kerry won 52 percent support, while Dean won only 17 percent. U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, came in third, his highest place thus far.
Former presidential contender Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-S.D., endorsed Kerry Friday ahead of Michigan's caucuses. Students for Kerry Co-Chair Don Eggert said the endorsement affects future primaries.
\People that haven't had the time to make up their minds yet ... could look at the fact that the labor support now seems to be with Kerry,"" Eggert said.
In a sign of shifting labor support, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, a union of 1.4 million , retracted its endorsement of Howard Dean Sunday.
""As we run things from day to day [the retraction] doesn't change anything we're going to do,"" said Mitch Wallace, co-coordinator of Students for Dean in Madison. ""A lot of people in the union still support us.""
With hardly more than a week before Wisconsin's primary, this state has been awash with a flurry of campaigning from all candidates. Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., came to Milwaukee Saturday and Gen. Wesley Clark visited Racine Sunday.
Clark's event was packed with everyone from veterans to Republicans, according to Amy Schultz, co-coordinator for Students for Clark.
Dean thinks Wisconsin is important, calling the state a ""must win"" to revitalize support nationwide. And Dean's second-place finishes are just what Dean needs to win, according to Wallace.
""[The primaries] are a very good sign. It's basically what we thought would happen, and it provides great momentum for Wisconsin,"" Spahn said.
Dean will campaign extensively in Wisconsin through Feb. 17.
""The race isn't over yet because Dean has told the whole world that [Wisconsin] is essentially his last stand,"" Eggert said. ""I don't know of anybody supporting John Kerry that is taking anything for granted. So much is left to be done.\
