superdelegate

Barack Obama has won the support of the final uncommitted superdelegate from New Jersey: Philip Murphy, a former Goldman Sachs partner from Red Bank who serves as Finance Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, announced today that he was endorsing Obama for President. 

Fox News reported early this morning that Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Belfair) was one of three House Democrats, along with New York's Rep. Charles Rangel and Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), to convince Hillary Clinton to suspend her campaign for president later this week.

At the time of the conversation Wednesday, Dicks was still a supporter of Clinton's candidacy. Then this morning, he announced that he was backing Barack Obama in the spirit of party unification.

"It's time to move on," Dicks told McClatchy's Les Blumenthal. "We need to unify the party," Dicks said. "Whatever differences we have among ourselves, they pale in comparison to those we have with John McCain."

U.S. Senator/superdelegate Frank Lautenberg will announce that he’ll support Barack Obama, according to sources close to the four-term Senator – not that it really matters at this point. 

U.S. Rep. Bob Filner, an undeclared superdelegate, appears likely to endorse in the Democratic presidential race Tuesday evening.

“He will be releasing a statement on the presidential race later tonight,” says a spokeswoman.

Filner is an eight term Democrat from San Diego.

Two other state superdelegates, meanwhile, indicated they were not prepared to endorse today.

“She has said he will be waiting for all the primaries to be over,” said a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Susan Davis.

Bob Mulholland, a campaign adviser to the California Democratic Party, was more direct when asked if he would making a decision Tuesday.

“No,” he said.

California Democratic National Committee member John Perez has endorsed Barack Obama. Perez is a superdelegate from Los Angeles.

With Perez’s endorsement, 21 undeclared Caifornia superdelegates remain.

U.S. Rep. Jerry McNerney, an undecided superdelegate, is expected to endorse in the Democratic presidential race this evening, a person familiar with McNerney’s plans tells PolitickerCA.com Tuesday afternoon.

McNerney, a first term congressman from the Stockton area, is one of 22 undecided California superdelegates.

ANNAPOLIS-- Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Towson) told PolitickerMD.com today that "it's possible" he could endorse a presidential candidate by Wednesday, one-day after the final nominating contests in South Dakota and Montana.

Appearing at the District 30 Democratic Club Cookout and Fundraiser in Annapolis, Sarbanes would not say which candidate he would endorse. The representative from Maryland's 3rd Congressional District has long pledged to remain uncommitted until the process is finalized on Tuesday.

"I'm certainly not going to make a decision before Tuesday," Sarbanes said. "We're coming to the end of the process and I'll think you'll see a fair amount of closure taking hold."

Washington State Democratic Party Vice Chair Eileen Macoll of Pullman announced today that she is supporting Hillary Clinton for President. Macoll will cast her automatic delegate vote for Clinton at the Democratic National Convention this summer.

She credited Clinton's policies on health care, education and Iraq as well as her electability in November for her decision.

The full statement  announcing her decision is below the fold.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama picked up a California superdelegate Friday when U.S. Rep. Dennis Cardoza switched his endorsement from Hillary Clinton to Obama.

“This is the most important election of my lifetime. While I continue to greatly respect and admire Senator Clinton and feel she has made history with her campaign, I believe that Senator Obama will inevitably be our party’s nominee for President. He has proven himself to be a thoughtful, knowledgeable, and inspirational leader and will take America in a new direction, which we desperately need,” Cardoza said in a statement.

Cardoza, whose 18th Congressional District spans the Merced area, endorsed Clinton in December and was a Co-Chair of Clinton’s National Hispanic Leadership Council.

Maine’s Democratic National Committeeman Sam Spencer is still on the fence regarding his superdelegate status, and he wants to hear from Maine on the issue.

“As an uncommitted 'superdelegate,' my life has been turned upside down with calls from the candidates, their surrogates, and Maine Democrats urging me in every possible direction. For a number of reasons, I have decided to stay uncommitted thus far,” Spencer writes on his Web site.

He has started an open discussion on SamSpencer.org for Democrats. He wants input on the following topics: