Vote for Dean!
2004-02-18 | 6:51 a.m.

Dean's name will still be on the ballot! We can still vote for him!

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (CNN) -- After a disappointing third-place showing in the Wisconsin primary, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean plans to suspend his presidential campaign on Wednesday, a Dean official told CNN.

Dean will leave his name on the ballot but "the campaign, as we have known it for the past 14 months, will cease to exist," the aide said.

Dean is expected to make an announcement Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET at an event in Burlington, Vermont. (Full story)

Meanwhile, voters and analysts were taking stock on Wednesday morning of the surprisingly strong second-place showing by John Edwards, behind John Kerry's win of the Wisconsin primary.

Edwards' strength could give the North Carolina senator new momentum, with the "Super Tuesday" batch of contests just two weeks away, on March 2.

With 99 percent of the precincts reporting in Tuesday's primary, Kerry had 40 percent of the vote, followed byEdwards at 34 percent and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean at 18 percent. Rep. Dennis Kucinich trailed with 3 percent and civil rights activist Al Sharpton had 1 percent. (Audio Slide Show: Primary night in Wisconsin)

Kerry's campaign sought to downplay Edwards' upward mobility, arguing that a win is a win -- and that Kerry has won all but two contests so far in the primary season.

"The motto of the state of Wisconsin is, 'Forward.' And I want to thank the state of Wisconsin for moving this cause and this campaign forward tonight," Kerry said at a victory rally in Middleton.

Surge surprises even Edwards

Edwards conceded that his closer-than-expected showing wasn't what he'd foreseen. He noted that polling put Kerry as much as 35 points ahead just two days ago. (Gallery: Wisconsin votes)

"I am surprised by the strength of the surge. I'm not surprised by the surge," Edwards told CNN's "Larry King Live." "We've surged in a lot of states at the end when people got a close look at me and my campaign." (Full story)

Exit polling found that nearly 60 percent of Wisconsin voters made up their minds in the last week, and Edwards beat Kerry by 16 points among those voters. But among voters who made up their minds more than a week ago, Kerry led by more than 30 points.

The North Carolina senator also benefited from support from independent voters, who were allowed to cast a Democratic ballot Tuesday in Wisconsin. They broke for Edwards by a nearly 15-point margin.

The economy was the top issue for Wisconsin voters, the exit polls showed, and trade was an important issue in the race. (Full story)

"Today, the voters of Wisconsin sent a clear message. The message is this -- objects in your mirror may be closer than they appear," Edwards told jubilant supporters in Milwaukee. "They want a debate. They want this campaign to continue. They want someone who will stand up and fight for them."

In winning two of 18 primary-season contests held so far, Kerry has secured slightly more than a quarter of the 2,161 delegates he needs to win his party's White House nomination. (CNN.com's interactive look at Primary Results to date)

Of Wisconsin's 72 delegates up for grabs Tuesday. Kerry secured at least 30, Edwards had at least 24 and 13 went to Dean. The rest were still to be decided. (CNN.com's interactive Delegate Scorecard)

Next week, voters will choose delegates at caucuses in Hawaii and Idaho and in Utah's primary. (CNN.com's interactive Election Calendar)

Those contests will be followed by "Super Tuesday," which features the largest single batch of primaries and caucuses on the Democratic calendar. A total of 1,151 delegates will be picked that day in 10 states, including such electoral prizes as California, New York, Ohio and Georgia.

CNN's Kelly Wallace, Dan Lothian, Candy Crowley, Judy Woodruff, Wolf Blitzer, Bill Schneider, Jeff Greenfield, Carlos Watson, Justin Dial, Jamie McShane and Sasha Johnson contributed to this report.

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