By Allison Klein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, January 20, 2008

About 900 D.C. Democrats caucused yesterday to decide which delegates would represent them at the Democratic National Convention this summer, depending on who wins next month's presidential primary.

Sens. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) have been locked in a tight race for the Democratic nomination, with Obama winning the Iowa caucuses and Clinton besting him in the New Hampshire and Nevada primaries.

Yesterday, about 500 city residents voted for delegates for Obama, and roughly 300 cast ballots for Clinton delegates. Roughly 50 voted for delegates for former senator John Edwards. The District will send 37 voting delegates and four alternates to the national convention in Denver in August. Yesterday, voters selected the people who stand a chance of getting there, depending on who wins the Feb. 12 D.C. presidential primary. Maryland and Virginia also will hold primaries that day.

The winner, depending on his or her percentage of votes, can send up to 10 delegates and three alternates. The rest of the District's voting delegates are selected by their position, including Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, an Obama supporter, and the chairman and vice chairman of the Democratic Party.

Yesterday's pool of candidates tilted toward Obama: 54 prospective delegates vied to represent the Illinois senator, 36 ran to represent Clinton and eight competed to represent Edwards.

Residents wore campaign stickers, held signs and spoke passionately about their choices.

"My fear is that if we have Clinton, nothing will change," said John Grimberg, 52, who lives in Logan Circle and supports Obama. "You can buy experience, but you can't buy character."

Voters elected 10 potential delegates and three alternates each for Obama and Clinton but only six for Edwards because his campaign had too few people running to elect the maximum 13 delegates.

Yesterday's voting was open to all registered Democrats, but those who turned out at McKinley Technical High School in Northeast tended to be political insiders, campaigners and the politically active.

Clinton supporter Bob Bethey said he heard about the caucus Friday through a friend on the Democratic State Committee.

"I'm a voter. I'm part of the process. That's how I was raised," said Bethey, 59, who lives in Northwest Washington. "If it was raining or snowing, I'd be here."

Statehood for the District, as always, was a priority.

"When you go to the convention, you always try to get our voice heard about voting rights," said Aimee Occhetti, a potential delegate for Clinton who has attended the past two conventions. "My experience is that a lot of people from other states just don't know."

Lenwood Johnson, an Edwards supporter and potential convention delegate, said he was not discouraged by the overwhelming support for the other two presidential contenders.

"I'm not going to fool myself. I know Obama and Hillary are more popular," Johnson said. "But I think people are more focused on personality than message. Obama and Clinton are locked in a beauty contest. Edwards is the only candidate who is pushing his message of one America and affordable housing for everyone."