WASHINGTON — A little-noticed part of the Democratic presidential contest is unfolding on Capitol Hill, and initial returns show that, as elsewhere in the country, the race is far from settled.
Most Democrats in Congress have so far declined to endorse any of the party's presidential candidates, despite months of wooing and arm-twisting by most of the contenders and their allies. Some who have taken sides have done so mainly as a courtesy to candidates from their home states.
Nowhere is the party's division more apparent than in California's congressional delegation.
Just 13 of the state's 33 Democratic House members and one of its two senators -- both Democrats -- are publicly backing a candidate. These endorsements are spread among six of the nine contenders.
"Our party's pro-choice -- pro-Democratic choice," quipped Rep. Sam Farr of Carmel, a former chairman of the state Democratic delegation. Farr remains uncommitted.
At this point four years ago, most congressional Republicans were foursquare behind George W. Bush's presidential campaign, including nearly all of California's House GOP delegation. The congressional solidarity for Bush gave him a deep base of influential party support that helped him withstand a strong primary challenge from Sen. John McCain. Only a few lawmakers backed the Arizona maverick over the Texas governor when the contest was still in doubt.
In 2004, congressional endorsements could also play an important factor if the Democratic nomination is not determined in the early primaries and caucuses. More than 18% of the 4,318 delegates to the party's convention in Boston will be "super-delegates."
These 798 uncommitted partisans, unlike the other, pledged delegates, will be free to vote on the first ballot for whomever they like. The super-delegates include about 250 congressional Democrats and hundreds of state and local officials. As a bloc, they outnumber all of the pledged delegates from California (370), New York (236) and Florida (177) combined.
While they may not be able to anoint a nominee, the super-delegates collectively could boost a preferred candidate or undercut others. And as party leaders, they help confer credibility on a presidential aspirant.
Those who have chosen sides, naturally, claim to have bet on a winner. Consider Rep. Zoe Lofgren of San Jose, Farr's successor as delegation leader. The five-term lawmaker endorsed former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean for president on April 9 -- the first House member from any state to do so.
