GEORGE NORCROSS SUPPORTS OBAMA

Barack Obama today picked up the support of two super delegates from New Jersey as several major Democratic leaders in South Jersey announced that they would switch their endorsements from Hillary Clinton to Obama. Super delegates Donald Norcross, who had previously been uncommitted, and State Sen. Dana Redd, who had backed Clinton, are now for Obama. This is a net pickup of two super delegates for Obama and a loss of one for Clinton.

Obama also won the backing of one of the state’s most powerful political insiders, George Norcross, and was endorsed by Clinton backers, including Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney, Democratic County Chairmen James Beach (Camden), Rick Perr (Burlington) and Michael Angelini (Gloucester), Camden Mayor Gwendolyn Faison, State Sen. Frederick Madden, and Assemblyman Paul Moriarty.

This brings the New Jersey delegate count to 72 votes for Clinton and 52 for Obama, with 3 super delegates still undecided.

"Like many Americans, we have been closely watching the presidential contest unfold and sense a new energy and excitement that hasn't been seen in at least forty-years," said Norcross, the South Jersey AFL-CIO president and the Camden County Democratic Co-Chairman. "The performance of Senator Obama in Wisconsin and the Potomac primaries demonstrated that he has broad appeal across the political spectrum - men and women, young and old, white and blue collars, Asian, white, Latino and African-American. We need to seize this momentum, attract a new generation of leaders to our Party, while rallying behind the candidate who can best unite the country during these uncertain economic times. That candidate is Senator Barack Obama."

"It's clear the people have spoken. It's time to unite behind a single candidate and that's Senator Obama," said Redd. "He will have won, by the end of this contest, more popular votes, more primaries, more caucuses, more delegates elected by the people and deserves to be our nominee. He has met the burden of proof to be the Democratic nominee and our next President. While we have a great deal of respect for Senator Hillary Clinton's long history and commitment to public service, the results of the past few weeks made us realize it's time for a new direction."