Utah Democratic Party Chairman supports Obama

One of Utah's two uncommitted superdelegates to this summer's Democratic National Convention announced Thursday he's backing Barack Obama for president.

The decision by Wayne Holland, chairman of the Utah Democratic Party, means two of the state's five so-called superdelegates are supporting Obama and two have said they are supporting Hillary Clinton.

Utah's only Democratic member of Congress, Rep. Jim Matheson, continues to remain undecided. A sixth at-large superdelegate will be named at the state Democratic Party convention in May.

"Sen. Obama has helped to energize our state party," Holland said.

Superdelegates around the county are being courted by Obama and Clinton, who are locked in a hotly contested race for their party's nomination that may not be decided until the national convention in August.

The party's final choice could come down to the superdelegates, who are typically party officials and officeholders and are able to cast their ballot at the convention without regard to state election results.

Obama, an Illinois senator, was the choice of Utah Democrats in the state's Feb. 5 presidential primary with 57 percent of the vote. Clinton, a New York senator, received 40 percent.

Holland said, "While we are blessed at having two exceptional candidates, Obama was clearly the choice of Utah Democrats on Feb. 5 and is the choice of the majority of Utah Democratic candidates to head the ticket in November."

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