Superdelegate count: Obama 4, Clinton 1

One superdelegate to declare today -- the day after Barack Obama's resounding win in North Carolina and near-miss in Indiana put him on the brink of the Democratic nomination -- shows that for some superdelegates, their own political prospects are paramount.

Congressman Heath Shuler, a first-term conservative Democrat, is announcing for Hillary Clinton, The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., is reporting.

Shuler, a former quarterback at the University of Tennessee and for the Washington Redskins, represents a GOP-leaning district in the western North Carolina mountains. The district went strongly for Clinton on Tuesday, and voters there might not look kindly on someone supporting Obama.

According to the News & Observer, Shuler had said in advance he would back whoever won his district. Clinton won by 13 percentage points, though Obama won statewide by 14 percentage points.

The Associated Press reports that four superdelegates have announced for Obama.

The Obama campaign named three of them: North Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Meek, North Carolina Democratic National Committee member Jeanette Council, and California DNC member Inola Henry.

The AP said the fourth is Virginia's Jennifer McClellan, who used to support Clinton.

"Over the past year, I’ve watched as Barack Obama has drawn countless new people to the political process," Meek said in a statement provided by the Obama campaing. "Although my position as State Chair has led me to remain neutral through the primary, I’ve quietly celebrated as Barack Obama offered new hope to millions of Americans who have lost faith in the American dream after years of disastrous Republican policies. Rarely does a public servant emerge with Barack Obama’s ability to unite our country and produce real change."

That narrows Clinton's lead among superdelegates to 271.5 to 260. Obama leads in the overall delegate count, however, and is within 180.5 of clinching the nomination.