Another Delegate Tracker Update – Hillary’s Last Stand

With Senator Obama officially leading in the delegate totals from every major news source, the last time we saw the press fawn over a story-line like this was when the Bush Administration wanted to invade Iraq.

Does anyone else find this celebration oddly familiar? And have you seen how the comedy writers (back in full form, fresh and ready to skewer the 4th Estate for it’s obvious miscalculations) are finally bringing us back down to earth? Check out this SNL clip from this past weekend….

Not to take anything away from Obama’s meteoric rise in the past 30 days, but Hillary Clinton has been given rather short shrift. Every question about her campaign has been an exercise that mines her weaknesses and attempts to extricate a confession of her defeat. Unfair? Sure. But is it part of our modern political era and therefore somewhat excusable? Yes.

The American press corps has caught her campaign at a moment that they were not prepared for – the brink of losing the nomination – and uncovered a campaign staff ill-suited to properly dismiss the threat she is facing. She’s made here mistakes and now she is being asked to pay for them. With Obama eating away at her base, she is now weak where she was previously strong. This is the Karl Rove recipe for winning in politics without the ’slash and burn’ rhetoric. Though Obama is not crediting Rove by name, he’s using the successful tactics that the former Bush official employed throughout his entire career to sink Hillary where she has the most strength – with whites, women and men.

Orchestrated, sensationalized and framed as it has been by our modern media, I will agree that this is Hillary’s last stand but refuse to predict an outcome. For now, enjoy the accumulated knowledge of four of our most trusted sources for political predictions.

Vermont Primary Voter’s Guide

Primary Date: March 4th

Democratic & Republican Party Primary

Type: Open Primary

Delegates at Stake: 23 for Democrats, 17 for Republicans

The state of Vermont votes this year on March 4th, in one of the most decisive primary elections in a generation. In what is call an ‘open primary’, Vermont has set up rules that allow every registered voter to choose which ballot and what party primary they would like to participate in.

The 2008 nominating process no longer hinges on Iowa and New Hampshire as so many elections have in the past. Instead, this election has been about Super Tuesday and the states that follow. And Vermont sits in a position of power to determine who the nominee may eventually be.

In light of this, I feel it is necessary to share a quick history and voter’s guide to the most salient questions I’ve been asked about Vermont. A political professional for nearly 10 years, I hope that this guide helps to answer all of your questions. If you have further ones, feel free to leave a comment.

Can I vote in the Vermont Primary?

Only if you are a registered to vote prior to February 4th. At the time of this writing it looks like the deadline has passed for all of you who have not yet registered.

Can Independents vote in the Vermont Primary?

Yes. When you go to the polls, you will be asked which ballot you want. You many only vote in either the Democratic or Republican Primary, not both.

Why can Independents vote in the Vermont Primary?

The State of Vermont votes in what is known as an ‘open primary’. This means that as long as you have registered to vote in time, you will be allowed to choose whether you want a Republican or Democratic ballot.

Vermont’s primaries are somewhat unique. They allow any resident to pick up a ballot and cast a vote for whomever they wish, regardless of their personal party affiliation. Much like the General Election, you are free to choose who you want.

Many Independents find this system to be geared favorably towards them and typically more moderate politicians fare well in an open primary. Open primaries traditionally have better turnout since more people feel comfortable voting that day since they don’t have to officially declare that they belong to a party.

Does the Vermont Primary matter?

I don’t think I have to tell you that it matters a great deal – especially if you have been watching the news lately. When a presidential primary comes to a state like Vermont and the voting will still determine the outcome, it is a rare opportunity for voters to have their voices heard nationally.

If you are a Democrat, your vote will contribute to your candidate’s delegate total when it comes to convention time. Even if your candidate doesn’t win Vermont, the better he or she does, the more delegates he or she will have to potentially be the nominee.

If you’re an Independent voter, you should feel equally enamored. Independents are widely known to be the heartbeat of the voting public whose opinions are frequently the basis for the ‘mandate’ that new presidents talk about during their first days. There should be no doubt that the candidates want your vote more than anything else. If you help in choosing either of the nominees, you’ll help shape the next 4 years of public policy.

What resources are out there for me?

I’m afraid that not many will go this length in explaining the logic of the primary system to you, but I will point you in the right direction for better details on what to expect on Election Day.

Vermont Secretary of State’s Office

Rhode Island Voter’s Guide

Primary Date: March 4th

Democratic & Republican Party Primary

Type: Modified Closed Primary

Delegates at Stake: 32 for Democrats, 20 for Republicans

The state of Rhode Island votes this year on March 4th, in one of the most decisive primary elections in a generation. In what is call a ‘modified closed primary’, Rhode Island has set up rules that allow every registered voter to choose which ballot and what party primary they would like to participate in.

The 2008 nominating process no longer hinges on Iowa and New Hampshire as so many elections have in the past. Instead, this election has been about Super Tuesday and the states that follow. And Rhode Island sits in a position of power to determine who the nominee may eventually be.

In light of this, I feel it is necessary to share a quick history and voter’s guide to the most salient questions I’ve been asked about Rhode Island. A political professional for nearly 10 years, I hope that this guide helps to answer all of your questions. If you have further ones, feel free to leave a comment.

Can I vote in the Rhode Island Primary?

Only if you are a registered to vote prior to February 4th. At the time of this writing it looks like the deadline has passed for all of you who have not yet registered.

According to the Rhode Island Secretary of State’s Office, an y voter who would like to ‘disaffiliate’ from his or her current party designation in order to be eligible to vote for a different party in the March 4, 2008 Presidential Preference Primary must file his or her disaffiliation with the local board of canvassers of the municipality in which he or she is registered on or before December 5, 2007. Voters file their disaffiliations by completing a registration form and indicating their new party choice or unaffiliated in the section labeled “party”.

Can Independents vote in the Rhode Island Primary?

Yes. Your party affiliation must be marked ‘unaffiliated’ in order to do so. When you go to the polls, you will be asked which ballot you want. You many only vote in either the Democratic or Republican Primary, not both.

Why can Independents vote in the Rhode Island Primary?

The State of Rhode Island votes in what is known as a ‘modified closed primary’. This means that as long as you have registered to vote in time, and are ‘unaffiliated’ with any party, you will be allowed to choose whether you want a Republican or Democratic ballot.

Rhode Island’s primaries are somewhat unique. They allow any resident to pick up a ballot and cast a vote for whomever they wish, regardless of their personal party affiliation. Much like the General Election, you are free to choose who you want.

Many Independents find this system to be geared favorably towards them and typically more moderate politicians fare well in an open primary. Open primaries traditionally have better turnout since more people feel comfortable voting that day since they don’t have to officially declare that they belong to a party.

Does the Rhode Island Primary matter?

I don’t think I have to tell you that is matters a great deal – especially if you have been watching the news lately. When a presidential primary comes to a state like Rhode Island and the voting will still determine the outcome, it is a rare opportunity for voters to have their voices heard nationally.

If you are a Democrat, your vote will contribute to your candidate’s delegate total when it comes to convention time. Even if your candidate doesn’t win Rhode Island, the better he or she does, the more delegates he or she will have to potentially be the nominee.

If you’re an Independent voter, you should feel equally enamored. Independents are widely known to be the heartbeat of the voting public whose opinions are frequently the basis for the ‘mandate’ that new presidents talk about during their first days. There should be no doubt that the candidates want your vote more than anything else. If you help in choosing either of the nominees, you’ll help shape the next 4 years of public policy.

What resources are out there for me?

I’m afraid that not many will go this length in explaining the logic of the primary system to you, but I will point you in the right direction for better details on what to expect on Election Day.

Rhode Island Secretary of State’s Office

Texas Primary Voter’s Guide

Primary Date: March 4th

Democratic & Republican Party Primary

Type: Open Primary

Delegates at Stake: 228 for Democrats, 140 for Republicans

The state of Texas votes this year on March 4th, in one of the most decisive primary elections in a generation. In what is call an ‘open primary’, Texas has set up rules that allow every registered voter to choose which ballot and what party primary they would like to participate in.

The 2008 nominating process no longer hinges on Iowa and New Hampshire as so many elections have in the past. Instead, this election has been about Super Tuesday and the states that follow. And Texas sits in a position of power to determine who the nominee may eventually be.

In light of this, I feel it is necessary to share a quick history and voter’s guide to the most salient questions I’ve been asked about Texas. A political professional for nearly 10 years, I hope that this guide helps to answer all of your questions. If you have further ones, feel free to leave a comment.

Can I vote in the Texas Primary?

Only if you are a registered to vote prior to February 4th. At the time of this writing it looks like the deadline has passed for all of you who have not yet registered.

If you are a registered voter in the state of Texas, you will simply choose your party and vote in that party’s primary. Texas does not register by party. One becomes “affiliated” with a party by voting in a party’s primary and the affiliation lasts for that primary year. As an example, if a voter voted in the March 2006 primary or April 2006 runoff primary, the voter affiliated with that party for the rest of that year, but on December 31, 2006 the affiliation expired. The affiliation means that the person may not vote in another party’s primary or participate in another party’s convention or sign an independent candidate’s petition for place on the ballot if the independent candidate’s position appears on the primary ballot. Note that in the general election in November, a voter may vote for whomever he/she wishes, regardless of how or whether he/she voted in the primary or runoff primary election, since all candidates are on the same ballot. (source: Texas Secretary of State’s Office)

Can Independents vote in the Texas Primary?

Yes. When you go to the polls, you will be asked which ballot you want. You many only vote in either the Democratic or Republican Primary, not both.

Why can Independents vote in the Texas Primary?

The State of Texas votes in what is known as an ‘open primary’. This means that as long as you have registered to vote in time, you will be allowed to choose whether you want a Republican or Democratic ballot.

Texas’s primaries are somewhat unique. They allow any resident to pick up a ballot and cast a vote for whomever they wish, regardless of their personal party affiliation. Much like the General Election, you are free to choose who you want.

Many Independents find this system to be geared favorably towards them and typically more moderate politicians fare well in an open primary. Open primaries traditionally have better turnout since more people feel comfortable voting that day since they don’t have to officially declare that they belong to a party.

Does the Texas Primary matter?

I don’t think I have to tell you that it matters a great deal – especially if you have been watching the news lately. When a presidential primary comes to a state like Texas and the voting will still determine the outcome, it is a rare opportunity for voters to have their voices heard nationally.

If you are a Democrat, your vote will contribute to your candidate’s delegate total when it comes to convention time. Even if your candidate doesn’t win Texas, the better he or she does, the more delegates he or she will have to potentially be the nominee.

If you’re an Independent voter, you should feel equally enamored. Independents are widely known to be the heartbeat of the voting public whose opinions are frequently the basis for the ‘mandate’ that new presidents talk about during their first days. There should be no doubt that the candidates want your vote more than anything else. If you help in choosing either of the nominees, you’ll help shape the next 4 years of public policy.

What resources are out there for me?

I’m afraid that not many will go this length in explaining the logic of the primary system to you, but I will point you in the right direction for better details on what to expect on Election Day.

Texas Secretary of State’s Office

The Burnt Orange Report

Ohio Primary Voter’s Guide

Primary Date: March 4th

Democratic & Republican Party Primary

Type: Modified Closed Primary

Delegates at Stake: 161 for Democrats, 88 for Republicans

The state of Ohio votes this year on March 4th, in one of the most decisive primary elections in a generation. In what is call a ‘modified closed primary’, Ohio has set up rules that allow every registered voter to choose which ballot and what party primary they would like to participate in.

The 2008 nominating process no longer hinges on Iowa and New Hampshire, as so many elections have in the past. Instead, this election has been about Super Tuesday and the states that follow. And Ohio sits in a position of power to determine who the nominee may eventually be.

In light of this, I feel it is necessary to share a quick history and voter’s guide to the most salient questions I’ve been asked about Ohio. A political professional for nearly 10 years, I hope that this guide helps to answer all of your questions. If you have further ones, feel free to leave a comment.

Can I vote in the Ohio Primary?

Only if you are a registered to vote prior to February 4th. At the time of this writing it looks like the deadline has passed for all of you who have not yet registered.

Can Independents vote in the Ohio Primary?

Yes. When you go to the polls, you will be asked which ballot you want. You many only vote in either the Democratic or Republican Primary, not both. You may also switch your party affiliation when you get a ballot by kindly asking your poll worker about this option.

Why can Independents vote in the Ohio Primary?

The State of Ohio votes in what is known as an ‘modified closed primary’. This means that as long as you have registered to vote in time, you will be allowed to choose whether you want a Republican or Democratic ballot.

Ohio’s primaries are somewhat unique. They allow any resident to pick up a ballot and cast a vote for whomever they wish, regardless of their personal party affiliation. Much like the General Election, you are free to choose who you want.

Many Independents find this system to be geared favorably towards them and typically more moderate politicians fare well in an open primary. Open primaries traditionally have better turnout since more people feel comfortable voting that day since they don’t have to officially declare that they belong to a party.

Does the Ohio Primary matter?

I don’t think I have to tell you that it matters a great deal – especially if you have been watching the news lately. When a presidential primary comes to a state like Ohio and the voting will still determine the outcome, it is a rare opportunity for voters to have their voices heard nationally.

If you are a Democrat, your vote will contribute to your candidate’s delegate total when it comes to convention time. Even if your candidate doesn’t win Ohio, the better he or she does, the more delegates he or she will have to potentially be the nominee.

If you’re an Independent voter, you should feel equally enamored. Independents are widely known to be the heartbeat of the voting public whose opinions are frequently the basis for the ‘mandate’ that new presidents talk about during their first days. There should be no doubt that the candidates want your vote more than anything else. If you help in choosing either of the nominees, you’ll help shape the next 4 years of public policy.

What resources are out there for me?

I’m afraid that not many will go this length in explaining the logic of the primary system to you, but I will point you in the right direction for better details on what to expect on Election Day.

Ohio Secretary of State’s Office

The Buckeye State Blog

List of Superdelegates

After nearly 2 months of scrambling to discover just who and what Superdelegates are, our wonderfully late-to-the-dance American media outlets have finally released a list of the Democratic Superdelegates in each of the 50 states. With credit to the Boston Globe for tracking this down, I’ve posted the complete list below and also have a link to Superdelegates By State where you’ll find it in .pdf format.

The section dedicated to each state gives the name of every member and whether they fall under the DNC Membership category or if they are an elected official. You will also notice that some Superdelegates are classified as ‘Distinguished Members of the Party’, which are typically former presidents, vice presidents, DNC Chairman and the like.

The end of each section also has the total amount of Superdelegate votes for each state (or territory). This lists was prepared by the Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection. The Official list of DNC members and certified delegates (the “Temporary Roll”) is maintained by the Office of DNC Secretary Alice Germond . For more information call (202) 479-5131.

For more comprehensive coverage of Delegates and Superdelegates, please also see my post on Delegates and Superdelegates Explained for more information on why these electors are so important in nominating a Democratic candidate.

2008 Superdelegate List

 

 

 

ALABAMA

DNC Members:

Randy Kelley

Yvonne Kennedy

Joe L. Reed

Joe Turnham

Nancy Worley

 

US House of Representatives:

 

Bud Cramer, Jr.

Artur Davis

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 7

 

ALASKA

DNC Members:

 

John Davies

Patty Higgins

Blake Johnson

Cindy Spanyers

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 4

 

AMERICAN SAMOA

DNC Members:

 

Deanna Fuimaono

Therese L. Hunkin

Fagafaga D. Langkilde

Nathaniel Savali

 

Democratic Governor

Togiola Tulafono

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Eni Faleomavaega

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 6

 

ARIZONA

DNC Members:

 

Donald Bivens

Janice C. Brunson

Donna Branch Gilby

Janet Napolitano

Joe Rios

Carolyn Warner

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Gabrielle Giffords

Rual Grijalva

Harry E. Mitchell

Ed Pastor

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 10

 

ARKANSAS

DNC Members:

 

Don Beavers

Karla Bradley

Martha Dixon

Bill Gwatney

Lottie H. Shackelford

 

Democratic Governor

Mike Beebe

 

U.S. Senate

Blanche Lambert Lincoln

Mark Pryor

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Marion Berry

Mike Ross

Vic Snyder

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 11

 

CALIFORNIA

DNC Members:

 

Steven K. Alari

Joe Baca

Jeremy Bernard

Rachel Binah

Mary Ellen Early

Maria Echaveste

Edward Espinoza

Alexandra Gallardo-Rooker

Eric Garcetti

Kamil Hasan

Inola Henry

Mike Honda

Alice A. Huffman

Aleita J. Huguenin

Carole Migden

Bob Mulholland

Mona Pasquil

Christine Pelosi

John A. Perez

Robert Rankin

Mirian Saez

Garry S. Shay

Christopher Stampolis

Crystal Strait

Art Torres

Norma J. Torres

Keith Umemoto

Aicia Wang

Maxine Waters

Vernon R. Watkins

Rosalind Wyman

Steven Ybarra

 

 

U.S. Senate

Barbara Boxer

Dianne Feinstein

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Xavier Becerra

Nancy Pelosi

Howard Berman

Lois Capps

Dennis Cardoza

Jim Costa

Susan Davis

Anna Eshoo

Sam Farr

Bob Filner

Jane Harman

Tom Lantos

Barbara Lee

Zoe Lofgren

Doris Matsui

Jerry McNerney

George Miller

Grace Napolitano

Laura Richardson

Lucille Roybal-Allard

Linda Sanchez

Loretta Sanchez

Adam Schiff

Brad Sherman

Hilda Solis

Pete Stark

Ellen Tauscher

Mike Thompson

Diane Watson

Henry Waxman

Lynn Woolsey

 

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Charles T. Manatt FORMER DNC CHAIRMAN

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 66

 

COLORADO

DNC Members:

 

Joan Fitz-Gerald

Maria Handley

Debbie Marquez

Ramona Martinez

Jonathan W. Postal

Mannie Rodriguez

Dan Slater

Patricia Waak

William “Bill” Ritter, Jr.

Democratic Governor

Ken Salazar

 

U.S. Senate

Diana DeGette

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Ed Perlmutter

John Salazar

Mark Udall

 

 

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Roy Romer

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 15

 

CONNECTICUT

DNC Members:

 

Anthony Avallone

Ellen Camhi

Nancy DiNardo

Martin Dunleavy

Stephen Fontana

John W. Olsen

 

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Joe Courtney

Rosa DeLauro

John Larson

Christopher S. Murphy

 

 

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Christopher J. Dodd FORMER DNC GENERAL CHAIRMAN

 

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 11

 

DELAWARE

DNC Members:

 

John Daniello

Rhett Ruggerio

Harriet Smith Windsor

Karen Valentine

 

 

Democratic Governor

Ruth Minner

 

 

U.S. Senate

Joseph R. Biden Jr

Thomas Carper

 

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 7

 

DEMOCRATS ABROAD

DNC Members:

 

Robert Bell

Connie Borde

Toby Condliffe

Liv Gibbons

Christine Schon Marques

Theresa Morelli

Brent O’Leary

Leo Perez Minaya

 

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 4

 

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

DNC Members:

 

Anita Bonds

Donna L. Brazile

Marilyn Brown

Mary Eva Candon

Yolanda Caraway

Larry Cohen

Arrington Dixon

Hartina Flournoy

Harold Ickes

Ben Johnson

Eric Kleinfeld

Mona G. Mohib

Minyon Moore

Jeffrey Richardson

Elizabeth M. Smith

Christine Warnke

James J. Zogby

 

Democratic Governor

Adrian Fenty

 

 

U.S. Senate

Michael Brown

Paul Strauss

 

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Eleanor Holmes Norton

 

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 21

 

FLORIDA

DNC Members:

 

Jon Ausman

Terrie Brady

Mitchell Ceasar

Joyce Cusack

Diane Glasser

Allan Katz

Raul Martinez

Chuck Mohlke

Janee Murphy

Rudolph Parker

Karen Thurman

Andrew Tobias

Bill Nelson

 

U.S. Senate

Allen Boyd

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Corrine Brown

Kathy Castor

Alcee Hastings

Ron Klein

Tim Mahoney

Kendrick Meek

Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Robert Wexler

 

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 0

 

GEORGIA

DNC Members:

 

Carole Dabbs

Shirley Franklin

Jane V. Kidd

Mary Long

Lonnie Plott

Richard Ray

Michael Thurmond

 

 

U.S. House of Representatives

John Barrow

Sanford Bishop

Henry C. “Hank” Johnson

John Lewis

Jim Marshall

David Scott

 

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Jimmy Carter FORMER PRESIDENT

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 14

GUAM

DNC Members:

 

Antonio Charfauros

Cecilia Mafnas

Taling Taitano

Robert Underwood

 

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Madeleine Bordallo

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 5

 

HAWAII

DNC Members:

 

Richard Port

Marie Dolly Strazar

Joshua Wisch

Beverly “Jean” Withington

 

 

U.S. Senate

Daniel Akaka

Daniel Inouye

 

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Neil Abercrombie

Mazie K. Hirono

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 8

 

IDAHO

DNC Members:

 

Gail Bray

Jeanne Buell

Grant Burgoyne

Richard Stallings

 

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 4

 

ILLINOIS

DNC Members:

 

Willie Barrow

Margaret Blackshere

Constance Howard

Thomas C. Hynes

Emil Jones, Jr.

Michael Madigan

Iris Y. Martinez

Steve Powell

John Rednour

Carol Ronen

Edward M. Smith

John Stroger, Jr.

VACANCY

Darlena Williams-Burnett

Margie Woods

 

 

Democratic Governor

Rod Blagojevich

 

 

U.S. Senate

Barack Obama

Richard J. Durbin

 

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Melissa Bean

Jerry Costello

Danny Davis

Rahm Emanuel

Luis Gutierrez

Phil Hare

Jesse Jackson Jr.

Daniel Lipinski

Bobby Rush

Janice Schakowsky

 

 

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

David Wilhelm FORMER DNC CHAIRMAN

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 29

 

INDIANA

DNC Members:

 

Phoebe Crane

Cordelia Lewis Burks

Dan Parker

Robert Pastrick

Connie Thurman

 

 

U.S. Senate

Evan Bayh

 

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Joe Donnelly

Brad Ellsworth

Barron P. Hill

Peter Visclosky

 

 

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Joe Andrew FORMER DNC CHAIRMAN

 

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 11

 

IOWA

DNC Members:

 

Scott Brennan

Michael L. Fitzgerald

Michael Gronstal

Richard Machacek

Sandy Opstvedt

Sarah Swisher

 

 

Democratic Governor

Chet Culver

 

 

U.S. Senate

Tom Harkin

 

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Leonard Boswell

Bruce L. Braley

David Loebsack

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 11

 

KANSAS

DNC Members:

 

Lawrence Gates

E. Lee Kinch

Helen Knetzer

Teresa Krusor

Randy Roy

Kathleen Sebelius

 

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Nancy Boyda

Dennis Moore

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 8

 

KENTUCKY

DNC Members:

 

Moretta Bosley

Terry McBrayer

Jennifer Moore

Nathan Smith

Jo Etta Wickliffe

 

 

Democratic Governor

Steve Beshear

 

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Ben Chandler

John A. Yarmuth

 

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 8

 

LOUISIANA

DNC Members:

 

Patsy Arceneaux

Renee Gill Pratt

Ben L. Jeffers

Claude “Buddy” Leach

Chris Whittington

Mary Lou Winters

 

 

U.S. Senate

Mary Landrieu

 

 

U.S. House of Representatives

 

William Jefferson

Charlie Melancon

 

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 9

 

MAINE

DNC Members:

 

Jennifer DeChant

John Knutson

Sam Spencer

Marianne Stevens

 

 

Democratic Governor

John Baldacci

 

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Thomas Allen

Mike Michaud

 

 

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Ken Curtis FORMER DNC CHAIRMAN

George Mitchell FORMER SENATE MAJORITY LEADER

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 9

 

 

MARYLAND

DNC Members:

 

Alvaro Cifuentes

Maria Cordone

Michael Cryor

John Gage

Lauren D. Glover

Janice Griffin

Nancy Kopp

Belkis (Bel) Leong-Hong

Richard P. Michalski

Glenard S. Middleton

Heather Mizeur

Mary Jo Neville

Gregory Pecoraro

Carol Pensky

Karren Pope-Onwukwe

Michael R. Steed

John J. Sweeney

Susan W. Turnbull

 

 

Democratic Governor

Martin O’Malley

 

 

U.S. Senate

Benjamin L. Cardin

Barbara Mikulski

 

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Elijah Cummings

Steny Hoyer

Dutch Ruppersberger

John P. Sarbanes

Chris Van Hollen

Albert Wynn

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 27

 

MASSACHUSETTS

DNC Members:

 

Gus Bickford

Raymond Jordan

Elaine C. Kamarck

Debra Kozikowski

David M. O’Brien

James Roosevelt Jr.

Diane Saxe

Alan Solomont

John Walsh

Margaret D. Xifaras

 

 

Democratic Governor

Deval Patrick

 

 

U.S. Senate

Edward M. Kennedy

John Kerry

 

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Michael Capuano

William Delahunt

Barney Frank

Stephen Lynch

Edward Markey

James McGovern

Richard Neal

Tsongas Niki

John Olver

John Tierney

 

 

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Debra DeLee FORMER DNC CHAIRMAN

Steve Grossman FORMER DNC CHAIRMAN

Paul G. Kirk Jr. FORMER DNC CHAIRMAN

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 26

 

MICHIGAN

DNC Members:

 

Arthenia Abbott

Lu Battaglieri

Mark Brewer

Mark Brewer

Elizabeth Bunn

Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick

John Cherry

Eric Coleman

Debbie Dingell

Joel Ferguson

Robert Ficano

Kwame Kilpatrick

Joyce Lalonde

Jeffrey Radjewski

Virgie Rollins

Richard Shoemaker

Debbie Stabenow

Michael Tardif

Richard N. Wiener

Lauren Wolfe

 

Democratic Governor

Jennifer Granholm

 

U.S. Senate

Carl Levin

 

U.S. House of Representatives

John Conyers

John Dingell

Dale Kildee

Carolyn Kilpatrick

Sander Levin

Bart Stupak

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 0

 

 

MINNESOTA

DNC Members:

 

Donna Cassutt

Ken Foxworth

Nancy Larson

Brian Melendez

Mee Moua

Rick Stafford

Jackie Stevenson

 

U.S. Senate

Amy Klobuchar

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Keith Ellison

Betty McCollum

James Oberstar

Collin Peterson

Tim Walz

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Walter Mondale FORMER VICE PRESIDENT

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 14

MISSISSIPPI

DNC Members:

 

Wayne Dowdy

Johnnie Patton

Carnelia Pettis Fondren

Everett Sanders

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Gene Taylor

Bennie Thompson

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 6

 

 

MISSOURI

DNC Members:

 

Doug Brooks

Mark Bryant

Robin Carnahan

Maria Chappelle-Nadal

Leila Medley

Sandra A. Querry

John Temporiti

Yolanda Wheat

U.S. Senate

Claire McCaskill

U.S. House of Representatives

Russ Carnahan

William Clay

Emanuel Cleaver

Ike Skelton

 

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Richard Gephardt FORMER HOUSE MINORITY LEADER

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 14

 

 

MONTANA

DNC Members:

 

Margaret Campbell

Jean Lemire Dahlman

Dennis McDonald

Ed Tinsley

 

Democratic Governor

Brian Schweitzer

 

U.S. Senate

Max Baucus

Jon Tester

Total Superdelegate Votes: 7

 

 

NEBRASKA

DNC Members:

 

Steven Achelpohl

Kathleen Fahey

Frank LaMere

Audra Ostergard

Vince Powers

 

U.S. Senate

Ben Nelson

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 6

 

NEVADA

DNC Members:

 

Jill Derby

Yvonne A. Gates

Steven Horsford

Sam Lieberman

Harry Reid

Dina Titus

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Shelley Berkley

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 7

 

NEW HAMPSHIRE

DNC Members:

 

Raymond Buckley

Martha Fuller Clark

Gaetan DiGangi

Anita Freedman

 

Democratic Governor

John Lynch

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Paul W. Hodes

Carol Shea-Porter

Total Superdelegate Votes: 7

NEW JERSEY

DNC Members:

Tonio Burgos

Joseph Cryan

Joseph C. DeCotiis

June S. Fischer

Phil Murphy

Donald Norcross

Dana Redd

Christine “Roz” Samuels

 

Democratic Governor

John Corzine

 

U.S. Senate

Frank R. Lautenberg

Robert Menendez

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Robert Andrews

Rush Holt

Frank Pallone

Bill Pascrell

Donald Payne

Steven Rothman

Albio Sires

Total Superdelegate Votes: 18

 

NEW MEXICO

DNC Members:

 

Martin Chavez

Brian Colon

Diane Denish

Mary Gail Gwaltney

Annadelle Sanchez

Raymond Sanchez

Christine Trujillo

 

Democratic Governor

Bill Richardson

 

U.S. Senate

Jeff Bingaman

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Tom Udall

 

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Fred R. Harris FORMER DNC CHAIRMAN

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 11

 

NEW YORK

DNC Members:

 

Vivian Cook

Ralph Dawson

Herman D. Farrell Jr.

Emily Giske

Judith H. Hope

Maria Luna

Gregory Meeks

Dennis Mehiel

June O’Neil

David Paterson

David Pollak

Roberto Ramirez

Richard Schaffer

Sheldon Silver

Marianne C. Spraggins

Irene Stein

Sylvia Tokasz

Randi Weingarten

Robert Zimmerman

 

Democratic Governor

Elliot Spitzer

 

U.S. Senate

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Charles E. Schumer

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Gary Ackerman

Michael A. Arcuri

Tim Bishop

Yvette D. Clarke

Joseph Crowley

Eliot Engel

Kirsten E. Gillibrand

John J. Hall

Brian Higgins

Maurice Hinchey

Steve Israel

Nita Lowey

Carolyn Maloney

Carolyn McCarthy

Michael McNulty

Jerrold Nadler

Charles Rangel

Jose Serrano

Louise Slaughter

Edolphus Towns

Nydia Velazquez

Anthony Weiner

 

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Bill Clinton FORMER PRESIDENT

Total Superdelegate Votes: 45

 

 

NORTH CAROLINA

DNC Members:

 

Joyce Brayboy

Susan Burgess

Jeanette Council

Jerry Meek

Dannie Montgomery

Muriel K. Offerman

David Parker

Carol W. Peterson

Everett Ward

 

Democratic Governor

Michael F. Easley

 

U.S. House of Representatives

G.K. Butterfield

Bob Etheridge

Mike McIntyre

Brad Miller

David Price

Heath Shuler

Melvin Watt

Total Superdelegate Votes: 17

 

NORTH DAKOTA

DNC Members:

 

Jim Maxson

Renee Pfenning

David Strauss

Mary Wakefield

 

U.S. Senate

Kent Conrad

Byron L. Dorgan

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Earl Pomeroy

Total Superdelegate Votes: 7

 

OHIO

DNC Members:

 

Joyce Beatty

William Burga

Enid Goubeaux

Mark Mallory

Ronald L. Malone

Rhine L. McLin

Patricia Moss

Sonny Nardi

Chris Redfern

Stephanie Tubbs Jones

Democratic Governor

Ted Strickland

 

U.S. Senate

Sherrod Brown

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Marcy Kaptur

Dennis Kucinich

Tim Ryan

Zachary T. Space

Betty Sutton

Charles Wilson

Total Superdelegate Votes: 18

 

OKLAHOMA

DNC Members:

 

Kitti Ashberry

Jim E. Frasier

Kalyn Free

Ivan Holmes

Betty McElderry

Jay Parmley

 

Democratic Governor

Brad Henry

U.S. House of Representatives

Dan Boren

Total Superdelegate Votes: 8

 

OREGON

DNC Members:

 

Bill Bradbury

Frank Dixon

Jenny Greenleaf

Wayne Kinney

Gail Rasmussen

Meredith Wood Smith

 

Democratic Governor

Ted Kulongoski

 

U.S. Senate

Ron Wyden

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Earl Blumenauer

Peter DeFazio

Darlene Hooley

David Wu

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 12

 

PENNSYLVANIA

DNC Members:

 

Rena Baumgartner

Anna Burger

Carol Ann Campbell

Ronald R. Donatucci

William M. George

Marcel Groen

Leon Lynch

Sophie Masloff

Gerald McEntee

Jean A. Milko

Ian Murray

Evelyn D. Richardson

T.J. Rooney

Ruth C. Rudy

 

U.S. Senate

Robert P. Casey, Jr.

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Jason Altmire

Robert Brady

Christopher Carney

Michael Doyle

Chaka Fattah

Tim Holden

Paul Kanjorski

Patrick J. Murphy

John Murtha

Allyson Schwartz

Joe Sestak

 

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Ed Rendell FORMER DNC GENERAL CHAIRMAN

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 27

PUERTO RICO

DNC Members:

 

Celita Arroyo de Roques

Luisette Cabanas

Francisco Domenech

Kenneth McClintock

Roberto L. Prats

Eliseo Roques-Arroyo

 

Democratic Governor

Anibal Acevedo Vila

Total Superdelegate Votes: 7

 

RHODE ISLAND

DNC Members:

 

Patrick Lynch

William J. Lynch

Edna O’Neill Mattson

Frank Montanaro

VACANCY

Mark S. Weiner

 

U.S. Senate

Jack Reed

Sheldon Whitehouse

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Patrick Kennedy

Jim Langevin

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 10

 

SOUTH CAROLINA

DNC Members:

 

Gilda Cobb-Hunter

Carol Khare Fowler

Donald L. Fowler

Waring Howe, Jr.

Wilber Lee Jeffcoat

Marva Smalls

 

U.S. House of Representatives

James Clyburn

John Spratt

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 8

 

SOUTH DAKOTA

DNC Members:

 

Jack Billion

Deb Knecht

Nick Nemec

Sharon Stroschein

 

U.S. Senate

Tim Johnson

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Stephanie Herseth

 

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Tom A. Daschle FORMER SENATE MINORITY LEADER

Total Superdelegate Votes: 7

 

 

TENNESSEE

DNC Members:

 

Will Cheek

Inez Crutchfield

Lois M. DeBerry

Jimmie Farris

Myron Lowery

William Owen

Elisa Parker

Gray Sasser

 

Democratic Governor

Phil Bredesen

U.S. House of Representatives

Steve Cohen

Jim Cooper

Lincoln Davis

Bart Gordon

John Tanner

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Albert Gore Jr FORMER VICE PRESIDENT

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 15

 

TEXAS

DNC Members:

 

Roy LaVerne Brooks

Linda Chavez-Thompson

Yvonne Davis

Al Edwards

Norma Fisher Flores

Jaime A. Gonzalez, Jr.

David Hardt

David Holmes

Denise Johnson

Eddie Bernice Johnson

Sue Lovell

Robert Martinez

Moses Mercado

John Patrick

Betty Richie

Boyd Richie

Robert Slagle

Senfronia Thompson

U.S. House of Representatives

Henry Cuellar

Lloyd Doggett

Chet Edwards

Charles Gonzalez

Al Green

Gene Green

Rubin Hinojosa

Sheila Jackson-Lee

Nick Lampson

Solomon Ortiz

Silvestre Reyes

Ciro D. Rodriguex

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Robert Strauss FORMER DNC CHAIRMAN

Jim Wright FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE

Total Superdelegate Votes: 32

 

UTAH

DNC Members:

 

Karen Hale

Wayne Holland, Jr.

Helen Langan

VACANCY

U.S. House of Representatives

Jim Matheson

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 5

 

 

VERMONT

DNC Members:

 

Judy Bevans

Ian Carleton

Howard Dean

Billi Gosh

Chuck Ross, Jr.

 

U.S. Senate

Patrick J. Leahy

U.S. House of Representatives

Peter Welch

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 7

VIRGIN ISLANDS

DNC Members:

 

Cecil R. Benjamin

Carol Burke

Kevin Rodriguez

Marilyn Stapleton

 

Democratic Governor

John de Jongh

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Donna Christian-Christense

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 6

 

VIRGINIA

DNC Members:

 

C. Richard Cranwell

Barbara Easterling

Alexis Herman

Joe Johnson

Jim Leaman

Jennifer L. McClellan

Mame Reiley

Lionell Spruill, Sr.

Susan Swecker

Jerome Wiley Segovia

 

Democratic Governor

Tim Kaine

 

U.S. Senate

Jim Webb

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Rick Boucher

James Moran

Robert Scott

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Terence R. McAuliffe FORMER DNC CHAIRMAN

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 16

 

 

WASHINGTON

DNC Members:

 

Ed Cote

Eileen Macoll

Sharon Mast

David T. McDonald

Pat Notter

Dwight Pelz

Ron Sims

 

Democratic Governor

Christine Gregoire

 

U.S. Senate

Maria Cantwell

Patty Murray

U.S. House of Representatives

Brian Baird

Norman Dicks

Jay Inslee

Rick Larsen

Jim McDermott

Adam Smith

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Thomas Foley FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 17

 

WEST VIRGINIA

DNC Members:

 

Belinda Biafore

G. Nick Casey, Jr

Alice Travis Germond

Joe Manchin,III

Pat Maroney

Marie L. Prezioso

 

Democratic Governor

Joe Manchin

 

U.S. Senate

John D. Rockefeller

 

U.S. House of Representatives

Alan Mollohan

Nick Rahall

 

Distinguished Party Leader Leadership Position

Robert C. Byrd FORMER SENATE MAJORITY LEADER

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 10

 

WISCONSIN

DNC Members:

 

Stan Gruszynski

Awais Khaleel

Jason Rae

Melissa Schroeder

Tim Sullivan

Lena Taylor

Joe Wineke

Paula Zellner

 

Democratic Governor

Jim Doyle

 

U.S. Senate

Russell D. Feingold

Herb Kohl

U.S. House of Representatives

Tammy Baldwin

Steve Kagen

Ron Kind

Gwen Moore

David Obey

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 16

 

 

WYOMING

DNC Members:

 

Nancy Drummond

Peter Jorgensen

Dr. John A. Millin

Cynthia Nunley

 

Democratic Governor

Dave Freudenthal

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 5

 

VACANCIES

 

VACANCY NAT’L CONFERENCE OF DEMOCRATIC MAYORS

VACANCY DEMOCRATIC ATTORNEYS GENERAL ASSOCIATION

VACANCY NAT’L DEMOCRATIC SENIORS COORDINATING COUNCIL

VACANCY

 

Total Superdelegate Votes: 4

 

Updated Delegate Trackers (post-Chesapeake Primary)

Much has happened since the last update to the Delegate Trackers. Obama has swept the Chesapeake Primary and made himself the front-runner in one night. Counting superdelegates, he has placed himself in the lead according to CNN, ABC, NBC and the Associated Press (all of which are cited below).

This is great news for Obama. He is showing that his message is getting to voters in such a way that a healthy plurality of them are turning out at the polls. On a winning streak, the Obama victories in every state has made the all-important political momentum shift in his favor. He is also winning in the money primary, though Hillary is quick to meet nearly all of his benchmarks (with her own money or with larger and larger fundraising efforts).

Basking in his victories and the incredibly positive press he is getting, Senator Obama can expect the rest of February to look similar for him. Though I would caution that Hillary’s campaign is still the coiled cobra – ready to strike fiercely at her opponent in the next round of March and April primaries, where the demographics of states like Ohio, Texas, Mississippi and Pennsylvania appear more in line with her Democratic traditionalism.

On the Republican side, McCain had a narrow victory in Virginia and Mike Huckabee is quickly looking like the spoiler of this GOP nominating process, rather than the serious candidate he is hoping to be taken as.  Huckabee’s tactics look to be a play for the Vice Presidency, but on a more practical note, he is an ordained Baptist pastor and one very much answerable to the evangelical wing that lifted him to victory in Iowa and the southern states. Staying in makes him the evangelical favorite and boosts the GOP recognition of that demographic as an important group to please if there is any hope of another Republican revival.

Delegate Trackers (with Updated Results from this Weekend)

We are at a furious pace to update the 2008 horse race. Nearly everywhere you look, the media outlets are attempting to portray momentum for Obama and a Clinton sinking into despair. I don’t think that this is true just yet (and will have further posts describing why not) but for now, let’s look at the numbers.

Clinton is coming off a bad weekend where she has tried to temper Obama’s momentum by claiming that his wins were expected in Louisiana, Nebraska and Washington. True or not, the Junior Senator from Illinois is closing the gap quickly, and may even take the lead when Virginia, Maryland and DC vote this Tuesday. Clinton clearly has a Barack Problem and his late surge has her organization scrambling to stop him at the March 4th primaries in Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Vermont where 444 delegates are at stake. She can hope to split those counts with him and battle for the 188 remaining in Pennsylvania on April 22nd. I think we might see a spring equinox before we see an Democratic nominee.

I’ve also moved Romney to the bottom rung in the GOP tracker given his drop-out status (and unbelievable robotic concession speech) from last week. This does not make Huckabee a threat to McCain, but quite simply a hold-out until McCain can eventually clean up the messy nomination process and focus his efforts on November.

Lastly, I’m keeping Edwards and Romney on these lists only because they have not chosen to endorse anyone yet, and when they do decide to make their choices public, their delegate counts could give the recipient a boost. Huckabee stands to benefit the most in this situation, but if Edwards were to endorse Obama, both anectdotal endorsement and his delegate count could shoot Barack’s momentum into the stratosphere.

Delegate Trackers (with Updated Results from Super Tuesday)

The results are in from Super Tuesday, but the news media is still undecided about what margin of victory one candidate can claim over the other.

Interestingly, NBC News has Obama edging Clinton by 4 delegates to put him in the lead among Democrats, though the other outlets have Hillary with sizeable (nearly 100 point) leads. My last update to the GOP Tracker showed that each news source agreed on what the delegate count was as of the end of January, but with the Super Tuesday results they are clearly bouncing around the mark.

I’ve been working hard on campaign related issues leading up to Super Tuesday and the posts have fallen a bit behind my regular schedule. I’ll be re-doubling my efforts in the next few days to get my non-award winning analysis out to you in a more timely and reliable fashion. For now, here’s the starting point for the next week or so of digesting just what’s going in the battleground that is the American Political Landscape.

Hillary Clinton Says Pats Fans Should Vote for “A Winner”

Hillary Clinton ruined almost any chance of holding on to the white male vote in Massachusetts and Connecticut on Super Tuesday.

New York Times writer Patrick Healey caught up with Hillary late last night after the Patriots loss. With the classic arrogance of a winning football time behind her, she dared to stomp on the bruised hearts of New England football fans in two very important primary states….

Told that Mr. Obama was supporting the Patriots – the home team of his supporters Edward M. Kennedy, John Kerry, and Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, Mrs. Clinton grinned and said, “Hm, I wonder why.”

And reminded that she had two campaign stops in Massachusetts on Monday, she joked: “They can redeem themselves on Tuesday – they can vote for a winner.”

This is perhaps the most ill-advised remark she has made in recent memory. If there’s one thing in New England that we take seriously (aside from politics) it’s sports.

Invented under an elm tree in Boston, fealty to our home-town and all that dwell within it has been borne upon the American experience since the Sons of Liberty . You might have heard of them. They were the guys who tarred and feathered tax collectors for a perceived censorship of newspapers.

Idiotic remarks made by public officials printed in newspapers are a celebrated staple of our residents and this one will not pass without a humiliating backlash. Throwing salt on the wounds of New England sports fans when you need them to vote for you tomorrow is about as smart, politically, as getting caught punching a kitten on camera.

Obama was behind in Massachusetts. Somehow if this story gets the press it deserves here in the Bay State, Hillary might shed those two or three extra delegates she has been battling for.