Texas Democratic chairman, wife endorse Obama
AUSTIN, Texas—Barack Obama picked up two Texas superdelegates, bringing him within 42 delegates of locking up the Democratic presidential nomination.
Texas Democratic Party chairman Boyd Richie and his wife, Democratic National Committee member Betty Richie, endorsed Barack Obama for president late Thursday.
Texas has 32 superdelegates and the Richies were among a handful of those remaining who had not committed to either Obama or rival Hillary Rodham Clinton.
"I believe Senator Obama is the candidate who can best provide the leadership and change Texans desire," Richie said in a statement issued by the party. "Senator Obama has the skill and ability to unite Americans from all walks of life and put our country back on the right track."
Clinton narrowly won the state's primary March 4, but Obama has prevailed in two rounds of caucuses that also determine pledged delegates from Texas. The final division of those caucus delegates comes next week at the state convention in Austin.
The remaining Democratic primaries take place in Puerto Rico, Montana and South Dakota. Obama leads Clinton 1,984 delegates to 1,782 with 2,026 required to secure the nomination, according to a tally by The Associated Press.
The DNC rules committee meets Saturday to decide whether to seat delegates from Florida and Michigan. Both states were stripped of their delegates as punishment for moving their primaries up to January in violation of party rules. The outcome of that meeting could increase the total number of delegates needed to win the nomination, although Obama is expected to remain in the lead.
