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Clinton leads race for Georgia's superdelegates

By The Associated Press
Posted 9:04AM on Friday 8th February 2008 ( 16 years ago )
ATLANTA - Barack Obama may have dominated the vote in Georgia's presidential preference primary. But, so far, he's trailing when it comes to the state's superdelegates, party insiders and elected officials who aren't bound by the election results and are free to change their minds.

They could play a pivotal role in selecting the party's nominee if the race remains a virtual deadlock.

Of the 13 unpledged superdelegates in Georgia, four have endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton and two are backing Obama, according to a survey by The Associated Press. The remaining seven superdelegates - including former President Jimmy Carter - are officially undecided.

Obama and Clinton remain locked in a close battle following Super Tuesday.

That raises the possibility that superdelegates could choose the winner if neither Obama or Clinton receives enough delegates going into the party's national convention. Typically, superdelegates play a largely ceremonial role, since the party's nominee has already been decided. Clinton leads the national race for superdelegates.

The Republican race looks like it will have no such drama. Mitt Romney's withdrawal from the contest on Thursday essentially anoints Sen. John McCain, of Arizona, as the nominee.

Georgia Democratic superdelegates who remain publicly neutral are being wooed by both campaigns.

"I told my wife I'm probably going to be pretty popular for a couple months," chuckled Richard Ray, president of the Georgia chapter of the AFL-CIO. Ray said he's remaining undecided because the union has made no endorsement.

"If they endorse, then I will too," Ray said.

Mary Long, a retired nurse and longtime party activist from Atlanta, said she's receiving calls from supporters in each camp. She said she expects to endorse someone soon but wouldn't say which way she is leaning.

"It's really been tough because for the first time in years we have two excellent candidates," she said.

While Long relishes her role as a party elder, she said doesn't like the idea of party insiders breaking a Clinton-Obama tie.

"I think the voters should decide it and I hope they do,," she said.

Carole Dabbs, a top aide for former U.S. Sen. Max Cleland, said she decided to back Clinton just before Super Tuesday, impressed with her health care plan and her stance on the war in Iraq.

"Yes, things are close," the Kennesaw resident said. "But it's also exciting to see this much involvement."

Carter - the state's most prominent superdelegate - said through a spokeswoman that he planned to remain neutral until the primary season was over.

But he did have warms words for Obama. In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal Carter called Obama's campaign "extraordinary" and compared his rhetorical skills to those of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Obama trounced Clinton in Georgia on Tuesday, winning 66 percent of the more than 1 million Democratic ballots that were cast. Clinton pulled 31 percent of the vote. That could ultimately sway some superdelegates who are on the fence.

Obama leads Clinton in overall Georgia delegates, most of which are tied to the voting results. According to a tally by The Associated Press, Obama has 35 delegates so far, while Clinton has 19.

The superdelegates backing Obama are U.S. Reps. Hank Johnson of Lithonia and Sanford Bishop of Albany. Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, an Obama supporter, had been a superdelegate but lost that status when she stepped as head of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors, according to the Democratic National Committee. That reduced Georgia's superdelegates from 14 to 13, party officials said.

Clinton's superdelegates are U.S. Reps. John Lewis and David Scott, both of Atlanta, along with state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond.

U.S. Reps. John Barrow, of Savannah, and Jim Marshall, of Macon, remain uncommitted and both said through spokespeople that they have no plans to endorse. State Democratic Party chairwoman Jane Kidd is also on the fence.

"I think that in my role as party chair it's best to remain neutral," she said.

Superdelegate Lonnie Plott could not be reached for comment by The Associated Press on Thursday, but said in January that he was uncommitted in the presidential contest.

In addition, the state party will add two additional unpledged delegates at a meeting later this year. Those delegates will be nominated by the chairwoman and must then be ratified by the state committee.

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