By Roger McKinney

rmckinney@joplinglobe.com

With three Democratic primaries remaining, it appears that the party’s superdelegates will decide the party’s presidential nominee.

But one may wonder how long those superdelegates who have not yet decided intend to wait.

The most recent Associated Press count of delegates, including superdelegates, lists Barack Obama with 1,965 and Hillary Clinton with 1,780. The remaining primaries are in Puerto Rico on June 1, with 55 delegates at stake; and Montana and South Dakota on June 3, with 16 and 15 delegates, respectively. The AP lists that either candidate needs 2,026 delegates to receive the party’s nomination.

Barack Obama, as of last Thursday, held a two-to-one lead among superdelegates in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma, but 13 superdelegates in the three states have yet to make their intentions known. Obama’s total among superdelegates in the three states was 15, with seven declared for Clinton.

Missouri

Obama and Clinton each have five superdelegates in Missouri, with six undeclared. Supporting Obama are U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, U.S. Rep. William Clay Jr., U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, Kansas City Democratic National Committee member Mark Bryant and State Auditor Susan Montee.

Superdelegates supporting Clinton are U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton, former U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt, U.S. Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver II, Joplin DNC member Doug Brooks and Independence DNC member Sandra Querry.

Superdelegates still undeclared in Missouri are State Democratic Party Chairman John Temporiti, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, State Democratic Party Vice-chairwoman Yolanda Wheat, Missouri National Education Association political director Leila Medley, State Rep. Maria Chappelle-Nadal and Attorney General Jay Nixon.

Oren Shur, spokesman for Nixon’s gubernatorial campaign, said Nixon told both campaigns that he would remain neutral.

“As long as there are two candidates in the race, he will uphold the commitment he made to both campaigns to remain undeclared,” Shur said of Nixon.

Obama and Clinton had 36 delegates each after the close Missouri primary.

Temporiti has issued a written statement announcing his intention to stay neutral, while acknowledging the likely nominee.

“As chairman of the party, I’ve felt it was important to be neutral in the presidential primary and I intend to remain so,” Temporiti wrote. “I’m not asking any of our superdelegates to endorse one candidate or the other. I fully believe that within the coming weeks the Democratic Party will come together to unite behind a single presidential nominee and all indications are that will be Senator Obama.”