Bush Takes Maine Caucuses Lead--Robertson Bid Finessed

LEWISTON, Me. â€”  Vice President George Bush maintained a solid lead Saturday in Maine’s Republican caucuses, forging occasional alliances with rival Kansas Sen. Bob Dole’s supporters to fend off a strong challenge from Pat Robertson.

Statewide, the Bush campaign claimed to have won 474 of the first 731 slots awarded to state convention delegates. Bush’s count gave Robertson 106, Dole 60 and New York Rep. Jack Kemp 10, with 81 uncommitted.

The state GOP was keeping no record of local voting results, but supporters of the various presidential candidates agreed that Bush had built a solid early lead, although a spokesman for the Robertson campaign said Bush’s tallies were inflated.

Most of the remaining Republican caucuses in the state are scheduled for today. Democrats also are scheduled to hold caucuses throughout the state today.

Updated GOP counts were expected through today, but because of the party’s passive role, conclusive results appeared unlikely. State GOP Chairwoman Karen Stram said some municipalities will not hold caucuses until early next month. The Republican caucuses elect 1,506 delegates to the April convention in Bangor, at which 22 national delegates will be chosen.

15,000 Predicted

Democratic leaders, meanwhile, predicted that 15,000 people would turn out for the caucuses, but other Democrats, citing a lack of enthusiasm among party members, predicted a smaller turnout.

“I think the big story is the number of people who are going to stay home tomorrow,� said Anthony Buxton, a former state Democratic chairman who is supporting Missouri Rep. Richard A. Gephardt’s candidacy this year. Fewer than 10,000 people would attend the caucuses, he said.

In the GOP caucuses, a Robertson spokesman complained that Bush backers were ganging up with Dole’s supporters in parts of the state to deny the former religious broadcaster his rightful share of state convention delegates.

“It’s a Robertson-Bush fight, with the Dole people trying to throw their weight wherever they can,� Jeff Nelson of the Robertson campaign said.

Dole has maintained only a small organization in Maine, and its local directors have sanctioned negotiations favorable to Bush to fend off what some fear would be a Robertson takeover of the state party organization.

Organizers for Bush, who has a summer home in Kennebunkport and the support of most of Maine’s GOP Establishment, were deploying Gov. John R. McKernan Jr. as a drawing card at several caucuses.

THE STATE

Population: 1,174,000 (1986 est.)

Racial/ethnic makeup: 98.3% white. No minority group exceeds 0.5% of the population.

Economy: Manufacturing (paper, wood products, textiles, leather), agriculture, timber, commercial fisheries, tourism.

Major cities: Portland, 61,000; Lewiston, 40,500; Augusta (capital), 21,800. THE CAUCUSES

Both parties choose their convention delegates--27 for the Democrats, 22 for the GOP--through a two-tiered caucus process that begins with this weekend’s municipal caucuses and concludes with state conventions in the spring. The local Republican meetings started Friday night and conclude today, while all the Democratic gatherings take place today.

The caucuses are open to each party’s registered voters, and to any independents wishing to re-register as a member of that party on caucus day.