November 6, 2003

Benjamin F. Wilson
District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics, Chairman
441 Fourth Street, NW Suite 250 North
Washington, DC 20001

Dear Chairman Wilson:

On behalf of John Kerry and John Kerry for President Inc., please accept this letter as my formal notification that John Kerry will not participate in the District of Columbia's January 13,2004 non-binding primary election.  I therefore request that, pursuant to Section 5(b)(2)(C) of the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955, as amended, his name be withdrawn from the list of "generally advocated for or recognized" candidates whose names will appear on the ballot.

Senator Kerry is obligated by rules 12.H¹ and 10.A² of the Democratic National Committee Delegate Selection Rules for the 2004 Democratic National Convention not to participate in this non-binding primary.  He fully intends to participate, of course, in the District of Columbia's binding caucus in February 2004.

John Kerry has long been a champion of the citizens of the District of Columbia in their quest for statehood--from cosponsoring the 1987 "New Columbia Admission Act" to the "No Taxation Without Representation Act of 2003."
 

Sincerely,

Jim Jordan
Campaign Manager
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1 "[P]residential candidates should take all steps possible to not participate" in a non-binding presidential preference event. Rule 12.H Democratic National Committee Delegate Selection Rules (2004).
"No meetings, caucuses, conventions or primaries which constitute the first determing stage in the presidential nomination process... may be held prior to the first Tuesday in February.. .." Rule 10.A Democratic National Committee Delegate Selection Rules (2004).