New Batch of Superdelegates to Choose a Candidate

May 3, 2008 -- Laurie Weahkee of Albuquerque, N.M., never expected she'd be a Democratic power broker.

But a week ago today, this modest American Indian voter outreach worker became New Mexico's one and only "add-on superdelegate" — making her voice one of those that count most in the razor-tight race between Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.

"I had not anticipated this opportunity at all," said Weahkee, who is from the Zuni Pueblo and an organizer for the Native American Voters Alliance. "I had not grown up thinking that I would be a superdelegate in the 2008 presidential campaign."

In this race for the Democratic nomination, though, every single delegate counts.

Based on the ABC News Delegate Estimate, it now seems like the Democratic nomination rests in the hands of 218 uncommitted superdelegates.

Obama trails Clinton by only 14 votes, and if the whole thing weren't complicated enough, there's a new wrinkle. So-called "add-on superdelegates" are now thrown into the mix. Weakhee is one of the 76 people chosen as the new superdelegates.

"We came up with this idea late, literally in the middle of the night," Democratic strategist Tad Devine said. "This might satisfy both sides."

The idea was to give each state a few extra superdelegates, late in the game, who would be chosen by local officials to better reflect the results of a long nomination fight.

In Illinois, it's no surprise that all three add-ons — including Chicago Mayor Richard Daley — favor Obama, the favorite son.

Likewise, in New York, all four add-ons — including state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo — are for Clinton.

But in Massachusetts, the governor and senators leaned one way, and the voters disagreed.

ABC News' Karen Travers has a complicated spreadsheet she updates daily, to keep track of the Democratic delegate count. She said it was a lot to keep track of, especially with the media hype.

"Right now, we are at that point that when the candidates get a superdelegate endorsement, it's a press release," she said.

Travers talked with Weahkee five times, but Weahkee is so new to the game, she has stayed under the campaigns' radar. No one from either camp has contacted her. Even New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who has endorsed Obama, has not called Weahkee.