June 2, 200421 yr Here: Shazzam Crawford mayor is Kerry supporter BY GROMER JEFFERS JR. The Dallas Morning News (KRT) - Crawford may be the heart of Bush country, but the town's mayor says John Kerry is the best choice for president. "I don't see where I'm better off than I was four years ago," Robert Campbell said Tuesday. "I don't see where the city is any better off." The Kerry campaign recently listed Campbell as one of 100 black mayors around the country - seven of them Texans - who support the Massachusetts senator over President Bush. But the campaign has not focused particular attention on the endorsement. With his sprawling ranch near Crawford, Bush is the area's most famous resident. Tourists flood the Central Texas city's tiny downtown on weekends to purchase Bush memorabilia and eat the Presidential cheeseburger basket at the Coffee Station, the restaurant that Bush occasionally visits while on vacation. Campbell, a Democrat who has been mayor since 1999, said he's met Bush once but doesn't feel inclined to support the former Texas governor. He voted for Al Gore in 2000. "I would say the city has a mix of Bush and Kerry supporters," he said. "The Kerry supporters feel like Bush has not delivered on his promises." Some Texas Republicans took the endorsement in stride. "You will find a few Kerry supporters in Texas," said Victor Carrillo, chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission. "But the majority of Texans support President Bush." Campbell says he's not worried about a backlash among his constituents. "I have the right to vote for who I want to be president," he said. "If some people around here don't like it, they can vote for someone else for mayor." --- © 2004, The Dallas Morning News. Visit The Dallas Morning News on the World Wide Web at http://www.dallasnews.com Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
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