2008 District of Columbia Democratic presidential primary

The 2008 District of Columbia Democratic presidential primary took place on February 12, 2008, nicknamed the "Potomac Primary" because Maryland and Virginia, which border the Potomac River, also held Democratic primaries that day.^[1] Fifteen delegates were up for grabs in the District of Columbia Democratic Primary, including 10 delegates from the District of Columbia's municipal subdivisions (five delegates for Wards 1-4, and five delegates for Wards 5-8). An additional five delegates were awarded to the at-large winner, Barack Obama. These 15 delegates represented the District of Columbia at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. A total of 24 unpledged delegates, known as superdelegates, also attended the convention and cast their votes as well.

2008 District of Columbia Democratic presidential primary

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Candidate Barack Obama Hillary Clinton Home state Illinois New York Delegate count 12 3 Popular vote 93,386 29,470 Percentage 75.31% 23.77%

Election results by ward Obama:      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

Barack Obama received the endorsements of Mayor Adrian Fenty and former Mayor Marion Barry (both African Americans), while he and Hillary Clinton were both endorsed by various members on the District of Columbia City Council.^[2] Barack Obama won the District of Columbia, as he did the other Potomac contests that day. He earned 12 pledged delegates to Clinton's 3.^[3][4]

Polls

Main article: Statewide opinion polling for the February 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries § District of Columbia

Results

See also: Results of the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries

2008 District of Columbia Democratic Presidential Primary Results
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Delegates
	Democratic	Barack Obama	93,386	75.31%	12
	Democratic	Hillary Clinton	29,470	23.77%	3
	Democratic	John Edwards	347	0.28%	0
	Democratic	Uncommitted	339	0.27%	0
	Democratic	Dennis Kucinich	193	0.16%	0
	Democratic	Bill Richardson	145	0.12%	0
	Democratic	Write-ins	114	0.09%	0
Totals			123,994	100.00%	15
Voter turnout			%		—

Analysis

The District of Columbia is a city with a strong population of African Americans, a voting bloc that consistently backed Barack Obama nationwide. The District also includes highly educated upper-middle class professionals who tend to be relatively progressive, another segment of the population that often backed Obama.

See also

• 2008 District of Columbia Republican presidential primary

References

1. "Up next: the Potomac Primary". NBC News. Associated Press. February 6, 2008. Retrieved February 6, 2008.
2. Fisher, Marc (February 7, 2008). "Potomac Primary: Barry to Endorse Obama". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved February 7, 2008.
3. "RESULTS: District of Columbia". CNN. February 12, 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2008.
4. "Obama sweeps Clinton in Maryland, Va., D.C." NBC News. February 12, 2008.