Ralph Nader's independent campaign for president says it has collected more than enough signatures to get on its first state ballot this year - in Arizona, a crucial swing state.
A Nader spokesman, Kevin Zeese, said late Wednesday that the campaign had collected about 22,000 signatures in Arizona, more than the 14,694 needed to compete there against President Bush, the Republican candidate, and Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the presumed Democratic nominee. Democrats, who blame Mr. Nader for costing Vice President Al Gore the presidency in 2000, promised to scrutinize the signatures, which must be validated by the state.
We are going to be putting these signatures under a microscope," said Jim Pederson, the Arizona Democratic Party chairman.
At stake are Arizona's 10 electoral votes. Mr. Bush defeated Mr. Gore by 6 percentage points in 2000, and Mr. Nader captured 3 percent of the vote in the Republican-leaning state. This year, Democrats say they have a better shot at capturing the state, which has a Democratic governor.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/11/politics/campaign/11nader.htmlIn Arizona, Bush still is holding onto his lead. The results of the KAET-TV/Arizona State University poll: Bush-43%, Kerry-38%, Nader-2%. President Bush defeated Al Gore in Arizona by 6 percent in 2000.
http://www.lifenews.com/nat537.html(This poll is about two weeksa old)