Superdelegate trickle set to turn into a flood?
We beat CNN in publishing the news about former Democratic National Committee chairman Joe Andrew’s switch from Clinton to Obama this morning, but the endorsements haven’t ended there. Also added to Obama’s total (by us but not yet by the official Barack Obama campaign) are three more superdelegates - Mayor Daley; Illinois House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago); and Cook County Board President Todd Stroger because of this report.
Hillary Clinton picked up an extra delegate to make up for losing Joe Andrew too.
Since the 22 April Pennsylvania primary these are the new declarations:
Endorsements for Obama
Joe Andrew (IN), DNC - 1 May 2008
Jeff Bingaman (NM), Senator - 28 Apr 2008
Bruce Braley (IA), Representative - 30 Apr 2008
Lois Capps (CA), Representative - 30 Apr 2008
Ben Chandler (KY), Representative - 29 Apr 2008
Richard M. Daley (IL), Add-On - 1 May 2008
Charlene Fernandez (AZ), DNC & State Vice Chair - 26 Apr 2008
Barbara Flynn Currie (IL), Add-On - 1 May 2008
Brad Henry (OK), Governor - 23 Apr 2008
Baron Hill (IN), Representative - 30 Apr 2008
Richard Machacek (IA), DNC - 29 Apr 2008
Audra Ostergard (NE), DNC & State Vice Chair - 23 Apr 2008
John Patrick (TX), DNC - 1 May 2008
Todd Stroger (IL), Add-On - 1 May 2008
David Wu (OR), Representative - 24 Apr 2008
Endorsements for Clinton
Carmen Arroyo, Add-On - 1 May 2008
Luisette Cabanas (PR), DNC & Territory Vice Chair - 30 Apr 2008
Andrew Cuomo (NY), Add-On - 1 May 2008
Thomas DiNapoli, Add-On - 1 May 2008
Mike Easley (NC), Governor - 28 Apr 2008
William George (PA), DNC - 30 Apr 2008
John Olsen (CT), DNC - 1 May 2008
Ike Skelton (MO), Representative, 29 Apr 2008
Kathy Sullivan (NH), Add-On - 26 Apr 2008
John Tanner (TN), Representative - 23 Apr 2008
C. Virginia Field (NY), Add-On - 1 May 2008
It’s all too plain that the majority of the declarations are still going in Obama’s favour. Let’s hope the remaining superdelegates heed Joe Andrew’s call to endorse and end this divisive contest soon. We can all turn our attention to the real fight ahead against McCain then.
* UPDATE: John Patrick (TX), DNC has also endorsed Obama today and has been added to the list above. John Patrick previously endorsed John Edwards for President, who has of course suspended his campaign but not himself endorsed either Obama or Clinton.
* UPDATE TWO: The Clinton campaign is reporting that it has today picked-up 4 new Supers - so-called “At large” or “add-on” delegates which were selected by the New York state party today. These are: Andrew Cuomo; Thomas DiNapoli; C. Virginia Field; and Carmen Arroyo. Despite this article looking as disjointed as the USA Today article we linked to yesterday, we have added these to the list above too.
As of this second update, the Barack Obama campaign (which is not yet counting the three Illinois Supers we have added) says that it is now 283 delegates from winning the nomination.