Monday, February 18, 2008

Superdelegate Heather Mizeur

Maryland Del. Heather Mizeur (D-20) is neutral in the presidential race according to MSNBC (and Maryland Politics Watch) and a Clinton supporter according to the Washington Blade. Will Del. Mizeur vote with or against her district?

Heather Mizeur is not just a delegate from District 20 but a superdelegate by virtue of her service on the Democratic National Committee as an elected member from Maryland.

Statewide, Obama won 60% of the vote compared to just 36% for Clinton. In District 20, represented by Heather Mizeur, voters supported Obama even more strongly, giving him 64% with only 35% for Clinton.

Last month, Mizeur said deciding who to support was tricky because one was bound to alienate one side:

[Mizeur] acknowledged that if she were to support Obama or Clinton, there could be some unhappy Democrats in her district, the ones who support the candidate that she didn't endorse.

Every superdelegate faces this same quandary: alienating the Democrats who elect them and with whom they must work. "People are very much divided," said Mizeur.

However, now it is clear that both her district and her state are not evenly divided but support Obama over Clinton by a margin of over 20 points. So I imagine that I am not the only one wondering how Del. Mizeur plans to vote at the Democratic National Convention.