SEATTLE — Barack Obama, hot in pursuit of the Democratic nomination for president, slotted a quick visit to Seattle into his schedule Tuesday night to raise money and rev up his support in one of the West’s most heavily Democratic cities.
Obama chose a nightclub, Showbox SoDo, as his venue and brought in rock musicians to entertain at the youth-oriented Generation Obama event. Prior to that he was making the rounds of two other fundraising events.
Obama was last in Seattle in June, drawing 3,500 to a rally at Qwest Field Events Center. He campaigned for Sen. Maria Cantwell and Democratic candidates in several appearances last year before moving his own White House campaign into high gear.
State Democratic Chairman Dwight Pelz said the campaign remains fluid in Washington, where caucuses are now less than two months away, on Feb. 9. The state also has a primary on Feb. 19, but it’s strictly a beauty contest for Democrats, who are selecting all of their national convention delegates through the caucus process.
Hillary Clinton, who had star billing at the state Democratic Party’s annual fall awards reception in October, is generally viewed as the front-runner in the state and has led in both state and national polls for months.
Clinton’s campaign has attracted many of the state party’s establishment figures, although Gov. Chris Gregoire, both U.S. senators and most of the party “superdelegates” remain uncommitted.
On the eve of Obama’s Seattle visit, the Clinton campaign rolled out the names of a blue-chip steering committee. Co-chairmen, previously announced, are former Gov. Gary Locke, U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee and King County Executive Ron Sims. Also on the extensive list are strategists Cathy Allen and Christian Sinderman, Microsoft executive DeLee Shoemaker, philanthropist Laurie McDonald Jonsson, Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon and Women’s Political Caucus Chairwoman Linda Mitchell.
Obama spokeswoman Jan Psaki said the Washington campaign for Obama is starting to show clear signs of momentum.
“What we’re seeing in Washington state is the same we’re seeing elsewhere around the country, that people are watching the developments and seeing the exciting movement in the four early states,” she said in an interview. “So we feel we have some real momentum here and we hope to be strong heading into the Washington primary (and caucuses).”
Obama’s Seattle stop was sandwiched between appearances with Oprah Winfrey and an Iowa debate on Thursday. Iowa’s caucuses are on Jan. 3.
U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, one of Obama’s earliest congressional supporters, is his state chairman. Others endorsing him include are Seattle City Council President Nick Licata, state Sens. Ken Jacobsen, Derek Kilmer, Chris Marr and Ed Murray and a number of state House members.
Other Democrats, particularly former Sen. John Edwards, also are contesting Washington, which has the West’s second-largest bloc of electoral votes — 11 — behind California.
Before Obama’s latest scheduled visit, Paul Lindsay, regional spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said, “No amount of celebrity fundraisers could convince Washington residents that Barack Obama has the experience necessary to be commander-in-chief.”
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