Obama Sweeps Ripton

Ripton voters gave overwhelming support to Illinois Senator Barack Obama in his race for the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday.

Obama took 175 votes to Hillary Clinton's 68, with a single vote for Dennis Kucinich and one blank vote--a 71-28 percent edge which eclipsed by several points his margin in the rest of the state.

On the GOP side of the ballot Arizona Senator John McCain took 15 votes, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee 4, and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney 2.

Turnout in the election was very high, reflecting the unusual fact that the presidential nomination was still undecided by the time voting reached Vermont. Sixty three percent of the town's voters cast a ballot--compared with less than half of registered voters in the two previous spring primaries.

Town offices were uncontested.