By NEIL H. SIMON, Media General News Service
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WASHINGTON - A Virginia superdelegate's endorsement Monday pushed Barack Obama closer to the 2,118 delegates needed to win the Democratic presidential nomination.
Jerome Wiley Segovia of Fairfax County, a member of the Democratic party's Rules and Bylaws Committee, said he went with Obama after the committee's decision Saturday to allow half-votes from Michigan and Florida delegates put the nomination "out of reach" for Hillary Clinton.
"It's a complicated endorsement, because I've been trying to work with campaigns as close as I could to recruit Latino volunteers," said Segovia, who is the national political director The CasaBlanca Project, which finds Latino Democratic organizers.
Segovia became the seventh Virginia superdelegate to back Obama. Five others have endorsed Clinton.
The state's four uncommitted superdelegates are: Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., Virginia AFL-CIO president Jim Leaman, former Clinton labor secretary Alexis Herman, and state Democratic Party Chairman C. Richard Cranwell.
Around the country, superdelegates who had waited until the final primaries were upon them began to take sides. The numbers for Clinton and Obama were fluid Monday night, with Obama needing fewer than 42 delegates to secure the nomination.
Webb said his endorsement would likely come in "a couple of days." The final primaries are Tuesday in South Dakota and Montana.
At a book signing in Washington, where fans told him, "You'd make a great vice president with Obama," Webb laughed.
"Both of them could have done a great job," he said.
"When people came along and put this much into it, you ought to let the whole thing play out," Webb said.
Leaman said he remained uncommitted because he represents unions that have endorsed both Clinton and Obama.
"They're still working hard for their candidates," he said. "I don't think it'd be fair for me to make a decision before the campaign is over."
Leaman said he'd likely announce his support after seeing the last primary results.
Segovia, who spent two days with Clinton adviser Harold Ickes debating how to seat delegates from Michigan and Florida, said he also spoke with Obama last week.
"We spoke a little about just the fact the party is at a stage where it's been a longer primary cycle than usual. He mentioned wanting to sincerely extend every courtesy to his opponent. I didn't feel I was pressured to endorse him that day," Segovia said.
"On a personal level, somebody with an international upbringing is something exciting for the world," said Segovia, who grew up in Paraguay.
Obama's father was from Kenya. Obama grew up in Hawaii and lived for a time in Indonesia.
(Contact Neil Simon at nsimon@mediageneral.com or (202) 662-7669.)
Jerome Wiley Segovia of Fairfax County, a member of the Democratic party's Rules and Bylaws Committee, said he went with Obama after the committee's decision Saturday to allow half-votes from Michigan and Florida delegates put the nomination "out of reach" for Hillary Clinton.
"It's a complicated endorsement, because I've been trying to work with campaigns as close as I could to recruit Latino volunteers," said Segovia, who is the national political director The CasaBlanca Project, which finds Latino Democratic organizers.
Segovia became the seventh Virginia superdelegate to back Obama. Five others have endorsed Clinton.
The state's four uncommitted superdelegates are: Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., Virginia AFL-CIO president Jim Leaman, former Clinton labor secretary Alexis Herman, and state Democratic Party Chairman C. Richard Cranwell.
Around the country, superdelegates who had waited until the final primaries were upon them began to take sides. The numbers for Clinton and Obama were fluid Monday night, with Obama needing fewer than 42 delegates to secure the nomination.
Webb said his endorsement would likely come in "a couple of days." The final primaries are Tuesday in South Dakota and Montana.
At a book signing in Washington, where fans told him, "You'd make a great vice president with Obama," Webb laughed.
"Both of them could have done a great job," he said.
"When people came along and put this much into it, you ought to let the whole thing play out," Webb said.
Leaman said he remained uncommitted because he represents unions that have endorsed both Clinton and Obama.
"They're still working hard for their candidates," he said. "I don't think it'd be fair for me to make a decision before the campaign is over."
Leaman said he'd likely announce his support after seeing the last primary results.
Segovia, who spent two days with Clinton adviser Harold Ickes debating how to seat delegates from Michigan and Florida, said he also spoke with Obama last week.
"We spoke a little about just the fact the party is at a stage where it's been a longer primary cycle than usual. He mentioned wanting to sincerely extend every courtesy to his opponent. I didn't feel I was pressured to endorse him that day," Segovia said.
"On a personal level, somebody with an international upbringing is something exciting for the world," said Segovia, who grew up in Paraguay.
Obama's father was from Kenya. Obama grew up in Hawaii and lived for a time in Indonesia.
(Contact Neil Simon at nsimon@mediageneral.com or (202) 662-7669.)