Meet state's superdelegates

Compiled by Lynn Bartels and Chris Barge

Published June 9, 2008 at midnight

Text size

Gov. Bill Ritter

Mannie Rodriguez

Pat Waak

Debbie Marquez

Rep. Mark Udall

Roy Romer

Ramona Martinez

Rep. John Salazar

Sen. Ken Salazar

Dan Slater

J.W. Postal

Federico Peña

Rep. Ed Perlmutter

Rep. Diana DeGette

Maria Handley

More Denver Democratic National Convention 2008

More stories »

Seventy delegates and nine alternates will represent Colorado at the Democratic National Convention in August. Today, in the final installment of snapshots of the Democrats, the Rocky focuses on the 14 "superdelegates," the top elected officials and state party officers. State party officers also pick a delegate referred to as an "add on."

Next week, read profiles of the Colorado delegates to the Republican National Convention.

Superdelegates

* Gov. Bill Ritter

Age: 51

Occupation: Governor

City: Denver

Family: Wife, Jeannie; children, August, Abe, Sam, Tally

Of all Colorado's elected leaders, living or dead, whom do you most admire? Former Gov. Ralph Carr, who opposed the mistreatment of Japanese-Americans during World War II

Supporting: Obama

First political experience: In 1974, when I was a freshman at Colorado State University, I volunteered on Gary Hart's Senate campaign.

* Sen. Ken Salazar

Age: 53

Occupation: U.S. senator

City: Denver

Family: Wife, Hope Hernandez Salazar; daughters, Melinda and Andrea

Years in Colorado: Native

Leader you most admire? Ralph Carr

Supporting: Obama

First political experience: Federico Pena's mayoral election in 1983

* Rep. Diana DeGette

Age: 50

Occupation: Congresswoman from the 1st District

City: Denver

Family: Husband, Lino; daughters, Raphaela, 18, Francesca, 14

Leader you most admire? Ralph Carr

Supporting: First Clinton, now Obama

Dream team: Obama and Clinton

First political experience: Volunteering on Federico Pena's mayoral campaign

* Rep. Mark Udall

Age: 57

Occupation: Congressman from the 2nd District

City: Eldorado Springs

Family: Wife, Maggie; daughter, Tess, 17; son, Jed, 21

Leader you most admire? Ralph Carr

Supporting: Obama

Dream ticket: I'm in support of having a Westerner on the ticket, and I'd be happy to see someone like Sen. Salazar or governors Schweitzer, Sebelius, Napolitano or Richardson.

First political experience: As a young man, I worked on congressional campaigns in Arizona for my dad, Mo Udall.

* Rep. John Salazar

Age: 54

Occupation: Congressman from the 3rd District

City: Family ranch east of Manassa

Family: Wife, Mary Lou; sons, Jesus, Esteban and Miguel

Leader you most admire? Former U.S. Rep. Wayne Aspinall

Supporting: Obama

First political experience: Campaigning for my brother Ken for Colorado attorney general in 1998

* Rep. Ed Perlmutter

Age: 55

Occupation: Congressman from the 7th District

City: Unincorporated Jefferson County (mailing address is Golden)

Family: Daughters, Alexis, 26; Abby, 21; Zoe, 16

Leader you most admire? Former Gov. Roy Romer

Supporting: Obama

Dream ticket: Obama and Gen. Wesley Clark. Other great VP choices would be Federico Pena or Ken Salazar.

First political experience: I was 10 and helped my dad pass out literature for Judge Roscoe Pile.

* Pat Waak

Party position: Chairwoman of Colorado Democratic Party

Age: 65

Occupation: Party chairwoman. I'm also a registered nurse with a bachelor's in psychology, a master's in psychology and a doctorate in ministry.

City: Erie

Family: Husband, Ken Strom; grown daughters, Cinira Baldi and Rachel Carter

Leader you admire most: All the Democrats

Supporting: Obama

Dream team: I would like to see someone from the West.

First political experience: In 1964, I was taking a political science class and they said to get involved. I walked precincts, made calls. Texas was a Democratic state back then. I got hooked on politics but put it on hold for two years to join the Peace Corps.

* Dan Slater

Party position: Party vice chairman

Age: 35

Occupation: Attorney

City: Canon City

Family: Divorced; daughter, Madison, 11; son, Ethan, 9

Leader you most admire? Former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart

Supporting: Obama

Dream ticket: Obama and Brian Schweitzer, governor of Montana

First political experience: Knocking on doors for an Oklahoma statehouse candidate, Democrat Mike Pybas, when I was a sophomore in high school.

* Maria Handley

Party position: DNC member

Age: 31

Occupation: Political operative

City: Lafayette

Family: Husband, Rich Pelletier

Years in Colorado: 31

Leader you most admire? My mother, Vija Handley, former president of Boulder County Democratic Women

Supporting: Clinton

Dream ticket: Clinton-Obama

First political experience: Campaigning with my dad when he ran for the state Senate back in 1978.

* Debbie Marquez

Party position: DNC member

Age: Baby boomer

Occupation: Restaurateur

City: Edwards

Family: Daughter, Francesca, 10

Leader you most admire? Rep. Terrance Carroll, D-Denver

Supporting: Obama

First political experience: I participated in the Muskie campaign.

* Ramona Martinez

Party position: DNC member

Age: 64

Occupation: Business and political consultant with REM & Associates; former Denver City Council member of 16 years

City: Lakewood

Family: Husband, Lawrence Martinez; three grown children, Larry, 48, Laura, 45, and Leonard, 40

Leader you most admire? Former city councilman, the honorable Sam Sandos.

Supporting: Clinton

Dream ticket: Clinton-Obama

First political experience Volunteering for Sam Sandos' City Council campaign in the early 1970s.

* J.W. Postal

Party position: DNC member

Age: 40

Occupation: Investment adviser

City: Denver

Family: Wife, Jennifer; daughter, Carly, 10; sons, Jackson, 6, and Calvin, 3

Leader you most admire? Gary Hart

Supporting: Obama

Dream ticket: Obama, Richardson

First political experience: Interned for former congressman David Skaggs

* Mannie Rodriguez

Party position: DNC member

Age: 58

Occupation: Corporate officer of a community corrections program

City in which you reside: Denver address, but I live in unincorporated Adams County

Family: Wife, Corinne; grown children, Robert and Rose Marie

Leader you most admire? Sen. Salazar

Supporting: Clinton

Dream ticket: Clinton-Obama

First political experience: Sought funding for vets with PTSD in 1976

* Roy Romer

Party position: Distinguished party leader. Romer, who served three terms as Colorado's governor, also served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee

Age: 79

Occupation: Chairman, Strong American Schools

City: Denver and Washington, D.C.

Family: Wife, Bea Romer, and seven grown children

Leader you most admire? Ralph Carr

Supporting: Obama

Dream ticket: Obama needs to choose his own running mate.

First political experience: Elected president of the Young Democrats of Denver in 1955

Add on

* Federico Pena

Age: 61

Occupation: Managing director, Vestar Capital Partners; former Cabinet secretary in the Clinton administration; ex-mayor of Denver