OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Washington's Democratic superdelegates are under heavy pressure from backers of caucus winner Barack Obama to support the Illinois senator at the national nominating convention.

But so far, only three of the state's 17 automatic delegates have endorsed Obama - and none of the other party and elected leaders, including the state's two senators, show signs of dropping their loyalty to Hillary Clinton or shifting from neutral status.

Gov. Chris Gregoire, a superdelegate for Obama, says she isn't applying any pressure. But both Obama and Clinton and their campaigns are lobbying. Obama's campaign stops just short of insisting that because Obama carried Washington's caucuses, he should get the superdelegates.

"On Saturday, Barack Obama scored a decisive victory in Washington by winning all across the state and among all types of voters, demonstrating his broad-based appeal and the grassroots enthusiasm for his movement for change," Obama spokeswoman Amy Brundage said Tuesday.

"We believe that the superdelegates should reflect the will of the people and their judgment about who is best positioned to lead the party to victory in November."

Obama won the state caucuses by better than 2-to-1 - 68 percent to 31 percent for Clinton. The state Democratic Party announced late Tuesday that that translated into the equivalent of 52 pledged delegates for Obama and 26 for Clinton.

Washington state will send 97 delegates to the Democratic National Convention this summer in Denver: 78 pledged delegates, 17 superdelegates and two "add-on" delegates to be selected at large at the state convention.

The 796 superdelegates nationally account for nearly 20 percent of the delegates to the national convention. As of the latest Associated Press superdelegate count late Tuesday, Clinton had an advantage, 242 to Obama's 160.

In the overall race for the nomination, after Tuesday's primaries and the newly released Washington state results, Obama had 1,223, including superdelegates. Clinton had 1,198.

It takes 2,025 delegates for nomination.

Obama has said it's important for superdelegates to judge who would be the stronger challenger for Republican John McCain in November and who would motivate more new voters. New polls show Obama doing somewhat better than Clinton against McCain.

Clinton, running ahead among superdelegates here and nationally, has resisted the view that superdelegates should follow the lead of their state's voters. That would require, for example, Sens. Edward Kennedy and John Kerry to shift to her from Obama, since she carried Massachusetts, she says.

In Washington, Obama has only three committed superdelegates: the governor, who endorsed him on Friday; Rep. Adam Smith, his state chairman; and Pat Notter, a member of the Democratic National Committee.

Clinton is backed by King County Executive Ron Sims and Rep. Jay Inslee, two of her state co-chairmen; Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell; and Rep. Norm Dicks, dean of the congressional delegation.

The rest, the majority, remain uncommitted and can go that way to the convention if they choose. They include state Democratic Chairman Dwight Pelz; party Vice Chairwoman Eileen Macoll; U.S. Reps. Brian Baird, Rick Larsen and Jim McDermott; former House Speaker Tom Foley; and DNC members Ed Cote of Vancouver, Sharon Mast of Bellevue; and David McDonald of Seattle.

Superdelegates said they've been personally contacted by Clinton, Obama and many surrogates for both. They also said their e-mail boxes have been jammed with messages from Obama grassroots backers demanding that they follow the lead of the state


caucus-goers and switch to Obama pronto.

The Seattle Times, the state's largest newspaper, in the lead editorial on Monday urged superdelegates to heed the decisive caucus and the Feb. 19 primary results and consider switching to Obama.

But the governor and others said the superdelegates are free agents. Gregoire said it was such a tough choice for her to choose between Obama and Clinton that, "I'm the last person to tell them what to do."

Pelz said he is waiting until closer to the convention to take sides, wanting to lead a united party. But he added: "I would hope all the superdelegates will pay close attention to the results of the caucuses, and I know they will. I would also note that the members of Congress and the governor are accountable to the voters."

The Clinton camp, including the two senators, gave no indication of changing their endorsements Tuesday. And the uncommitted delegates said they'll stay that way, at least for a while, any outside pressure notwithstanding.

"I'm not going to be rushed into decision," Macoll said. "I'm concerned about Democrats winning at the finish line, getting into the White House. I will make a choice based on that. The caucus results definitely factor in. Either would be terrific and move us forward. So I will wait to see which way the wind is blowing (in later contests)."

Mast also said she wants to see how Obama and Clinton do. "This is too close to call," she said.

"Boy, am I getting pounded" by Obama forces, said Cote. "I had 75 or 100 e-mails today, some with a nasty tone, an insurgent tone, like 'How dare you defy the will of the people?"' Some said we should throw Maria and Patty out of office (for backing Clinton)."

He said it would be "a public relations nightmare" if the superdelegates decide the race and their judgment is different from the regular delegates. The party created the role for party elders with "long-term, institutional memory" to help guide the party over time, he said.

"I won't ignore the caucus, but it's not necessarily determinative," said McDonald, a member of the party's Rules Committee. "If we had wanted superdelegates to automatically vote the way their state does, we would have written that into the rules. We are there to exercise judgment about the broader interests of the party."

Republicans' three automatic delegates, including party Chairman Luke Esser, are all uncommitted.

--- Washington's Democratic superdelegates and their picks:

Barack Obama

Gov. Chris Gregoire, Rep. Adam Smith, and Democratic National Committee member Pat Notter.

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, Reps. Norm Dicks and Jay Inslee, and King County Executive Ron Sims.

Uncommitted

Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz; Vice Chairwoman Eileen Macoll; DNC members Ed Cote, Sharon Mast and David McDonald; Reps. Brian Baird, Rick Larsen and Jim McDermott; and former House Speaker Tom Foley