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VIA THE WASHINGTON POST:

D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) spent more than two hours pressing the flesh and taking names this morning in as he took his one-on-one campaign skills to the heart of Dupont Circle.

Greeting pedestrian commuters at the base of the Dupont Circle fountain, a relaxed Fenty reached out to nearly everyone who passed by, asking them if they were a “D.C. Democrat.” He then posed for photographs and plastered “Fenty” stickers on their clothes.

Most importantly, however, Fenty and a small army of volunteers gathered all-important names, e-mail and addresses to log into their voting files – which will become indispensable commodities when it comes to the mayor’s get-out-the vote effort.

“Are you a D.C. Democrat?” Fenty asked one hurried commuter. “Do you think I can count on you? … I just want to get your name.”

Many of people who Fenty came in contact with this morning gladly gave their information to the mayor’s volunteers. And when someone said they were too busy to stop because they were late for work, Fenty ordered a volunteer to walk with that person to collect the information on-the-go.

The people walking near the fountain this morning are just the type of voters Fenty advisers believe they need to reach in order to be successful. Many were in their 20s and 30s, and most interviewed by The Washington Post said they do not follow local politics closely.

“You need to register to vote for the primary,” Fenty told one new District resident, who had stopped to have his picture taken with the mayor. “Do you mind if Chuck gets your name?”

More than a few passersby said they live in suburban Maryland or Virginia. Fenty tried to recruit those commuters as volunteers for his campaign.

Read more here