Jess Aloe

Free Press Staff Writer

MONTPELIER - Three Vermont superdelegates have joined Rep. Peter Welch in pledging their support for Bernie Sanders in his bid for the Democratic nomination.

Secretary of State Jim Condos and Rep. Tim Jerman, D-Essex Junction, made their announcement at the Statehouse in Montpelier Tuesday afternoon, saying they waited until after the Vermont presidential primary on March 1 to make their decision to back Sanders. Vermont Democratic Party Chairwoman Dottie Deans sent out a statement at about the same time to say she also would be supporting Sanders.

Superdelegates are high-ranking elected officials and party leaders who earn their status by virtue of their party position. Unlike delegate chosen through primaries and caucuses who are bound to support a specific candidate, superdelegates are free to support whoever they choose, and to change their minds.

"The people of Vermont have spoken," said Condos, who earned his superdelegate status as the vice chairman of the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State.

Jerman is the vice chairman of the Vermont Democratic Party. Both Deans and Jerman said their choices do not reflect the views of the state party, which is officially neutral in the contest between Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

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Sen. Patrick Leahy, Gov. Peter Shumlin and former Gov. Howard Dean have all pledged to support Clinton, sparking a backlash among some people who them going against the wishes of Vermont voters. Sanders overwhelmingly won the Vermont primary, earning 86.1 percent of the vote and winning every town. Clinton failed to meet the threshold to win any of the state's 14 pledged delegates.

Dean tangled with people via Twitter earlier this week over the issue, pointing to Clinton's greater vote tally nationwide and saying he had to do what he thought best.

During his remarks, Jerman said he saw a lot of concern and confusion over superdelegates, and that he shared some of the concerns about the delegate selection process.

"It's just something you need to look at," he said.

Condos said he'd like to see delegates divided proportionally. He pointed out that the four Vermont superdelegates supporting Clinton would be representing the 13.6 percent of Vermonters who voted for her in the primary.

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Contact Jess Aloe at 802-660-1874 or jaloe@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jess_aloe