Obama snares most of state's superdelegates

Publication: Conneticut Post

Peter Urban
May 21, 2008

WASHINGTON - With 50 primaries and caucuses behind him, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama passed a significant milestone Tuesday night when he secured a majority of pledged delegates to this summer's Democratic National Convention. But he still has a way to go to secure the nomination.

But Obama has yet to surpass the 2,025 delegates needed to win the convention outright as more than 200 superdelegates - including two from Connecticut - have yet to announce whom they will support.

As it stands now, Obama is backed by 304 of the "superdelegates" while 277 of these elected officials and party leaders support Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to the Superdelegate Transparency Project.

Connecticut is sending 60 delegates to this summer's convention, with 48 determined by the results of the state's primary on Feb. 5. Obama, who won 51-47 percent, earned 26 pledged delegates while Clinton picked up 22 pledged delegates.

Two state superdelegates have not declared how they will vote - state party chairwoman Nancy DiNardo and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2.

Superdelegates backing Obama are Sen. Chris Dodd; Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3; Rep. John Larson, D-1; Rep. Chris Murphy, D-5; DNC members Anthony Avallone, Martin Dunleavy and Stephen Fontana, and state Sen. Donald Williams. Backing Clinton are DNC members John Olsen and Ellen Camhi.

Dunleavy, who lives in New Haven and works as a political operative for the National Education Association,said he announced his support for Obama after Dodd dropped out of the presidential race. He had endorsed Dodd initially.

"I was with Dodd, but endorsed Obama after Iowa and have not had any second thoughts about it," Dunleavy said. "He turned around and won my state, my congressional district, my city and my ward. My friends and neighbors support him."

While he believes Obama will eventually secure the nomination, Dunleavy expects the primary campaign will continue into June.

"Potentially, there could be an avalanche of superdelegates backing Obama, but my biggest concern isn't ending this campaign now, but making sure that when it ends the party is unified," Dunleavy said.

Clinton backers need to feel that they have been treated fairly and that their candidate was given every opportunity to win the contest, he said. That may mean allowing the primary season to carry forward through the few remaining contests and possibly addressing how to seat delegates from Florida and Michigan. Those states lost their delegates when they moved their primary dates forward against party rules.

As for DiNardo and Courtney, Dunleavy said that it is up to them to decide when to announce which candidate they will support.

"I don't think there are any problems here in Connecticut amongst party leaders. We played well together and I don't think there are any bruised egos or hurt feelings," Dunleavy said.

John Olsen, a former state party chairman and president of the state AFL-CIO, said that he expects DiNardo and Courtney will make an announcement before the convention but likely not until all the primaries have been completed.

"I respect their timeline," he said.

DNC Chairman Howard Dean has told superdelegates that he wants to have a nominee by the end of June - ahead of their August convention.

"Anyone would like to know who the winner is sooner rather than later, but this is an extraordinary year with so much energy, and I think the process here helps us," Olsen said. "Both candidates are about major change. We're either going to have an African-American or a woman heading our ticket - that is extraordinary change."

DiNardo was traveling out of the country Tuesday and could not be reached for comment.

Peter Urban, who covers Washington, can be reached by e-mail at purban@ctpost.com.