Chesapeake's Del. Spruill switches his support to Obama

Posted to: Elections News Virginia
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By Mike Saewitz
The Virginian-Pilot
© June 5, 2008

CHESAPEAKE

Del. Lionell Spruill Sr., D-Chesapeake, who backed the presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton even after her candidacy appeared to have come to end, said today he’s supporting U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.

Spruill, a Virginia delegate to the party’s national convention, said now that Obama appears to have won the Democratic nomination, he has the legislator’s full support.

“I held out until the end,” Spruill said. “I kept my promise.”

For the last year, Spruill has been a vocal and active supporter of Clinton. Locally, the delegate has used his political organization to attempt to sway voters.

As one of Virginia’s 16 Democratic superdelegates, Spruill said for months that he would cast a vote for her.

He talked Clinton up at a New Hampshire Democratic Party dinner earlier this year. He organized a Chesapeake rally attended by former President Bill Clinton.

Spruill was in New York Tuesday to hear Sen. Clinton’s speech.

He said he now offers the same type of support to Obama.

“I traveled all over the country for her,” he said. “I’d do the same for him.”

Spruill said unifying the party is the most important thing right now.

“We’ve got to win this thing in November,” Spruill said.

Mike Saewitz, (757) 222-5207, mike.saewitz@pilotonline.com

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Presidential Election...

Submitted by JOHNNIE MAE on Fri, 06/06/2008 at 12:24 pm.

Will you ever have any positive comments? Only see posted negative views, can we all just get along with each other.

Are you serious

Submitted by Deuce22 on Fri, 06/06/2008 at 10:53 am.

I read these comments daily and there getting old. Do you people hate Obama that much? What issues do you not agree with? His issues are pretty close to those of Senator Clinton. So what is the problem? Spruill is backing Obama because he is the parties nominee for president. You would think that if you were with a certain party then you would stick with that party. That's what he is doing, and what's wrong with that? Lets face several people claim that race is not an issue but we all know that it is a factor that many people still consider. It's sad that some people would rather see McCain president oppossed to Obama, who happens to be black.

Want To Be Sure

Submitted by festerDjester on Fri, 06/06/2008 at 6:44 am.

I guess the ones that held out want to be sure they jump on the winners bandwagon. What a bunch of phonies!!

Why is this news worthy?

Submitted by Always a Lady on Thu, 06/05/2008 at 5:25 pm.

Why is this news worthy?

The wind

Submitted by aalto on Thu, 06/05/2008 at 1:24 pm.

Hey, it's john kerry all over.....I voted for hillary before I voted against her. Why can't a democrat ever make a stand and stay there? Does he have such low self-esteem that he has to follow the crowd? He can't be a leader? Stand by your decisions, even the wrong ones. It will show you have some character anyway.