Pledged Delegate Flips from Clinton to Obama

Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson, a Democratic convention delegate pledged to support Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, said yesterday that he thinks Sen. Barack Obama has "in a real sense" won the Democratic nomination and that he now plans to support Obama at the August convention.

Johnson, who endorsed Clinton nine days before Maryland's February primary, said he will urge Gov. Martin O'Malley and Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, who co-chair Clinton's Maryland campaign, to bring all of her delegates to Obama's camp for the sake of party unity.

"I cannot in good conscience go to the convention and not support Barack," Johnson said in an interview. "She ran a great campaign, but she fell short of the line."

The State Chair shall convey to the presidential candidate, or that candidate’s
authorized representative(s), no later than April 21, 2008, a list of all persons who
have filed pledged to that presidential candidate. Each presidential candidate, or
his authorized representative(s), must then file with the State Chair by 5:00 p.m.
on April 26, 2008 a list of all such candidates he or she has approved, provided
that approval is given to at least three times the number of candidates for delegate
and alternate slots to be selected. Failure to respond will be deemed approval of
all delegate and alternate candidates submitted to the presidential candidate, or
the authorized representative(s), unless signified otherwise in writing to the State
Chair no later than April 26, 2008.