Mary Long has received dozens of e-mails, phone calls and letters from complete strangers in the past few weeks. She's been quite popular since superdelegates became the rage of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Long is a member of the Democratic National Committee from Georgia, and as such is one of 13 superdelegates from the state. Those are unpledged delegates to the party's national convention in August in Denver who can cast a ballot for any candidate.

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U.S. Congressman and superdelegate Sanford Bishop Jr. (Ga. 2nd district) speaks to the press before the Trumpet Awards ceremonial dinner.

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With the race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton exceedingly close, superdelegates could play a major role in choosing the nominee.

"Nobody had ever heard of a superdelegate before this year," said Long, who has not committed to either candidate.

Several superdelagates said lobbying on behalf of the two campaigns has been intense.

The Obama campaign went so far as to publish on its Web site a list of the state's superdelegates with the addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses for each.

The campaign encouraged supporters to contact all the superdelegates and call for an Obama vote.

But it's not just supporters calling, said Richard Ray, an AFL-CIO leader and DNC member.

"I'm getting as many calls from the press across the United States," he said. "I've gotten letters from people here in Georgia who are either for Hillary or Obama, and I've gotten calls."

It was just a few days ago, however, that he received his first calls from the campaigns themselves, he said.

DNC member and IBEW leader Lonnie Plotts committed his ballot to Clinton after speaking with her and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

"Regardless of what the polls may be showing, I think she's the most electable," he said.

"Once the convention is over with, it gets nasty, and we don't know what may or may not be in Senator Obama's past.

"Nobody's been scrutinized more than the Clintons."

U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall, who as a superdelegate has never endorsed a Democratic presidential nominee, said he didn't feel the need to go through the process of selecting one this year, either.

"This is not a decision I may have to make," Marshall said.

"It's my view that the votes of the superdelegates are likely to be ... [moot] long before we get to the convention."

Marshall said he expects Clinton or Obama — "more likely Obama" — to gather the 2,025 delegates needed before the party convention convenes this summer.

"It's a little early to express a preference given that so many voters have yet to vote," Barrow said.

He offered no predictions but said the tide of new voters whom Obama and Clinton are turning out in their potentially historic race indicates a "huge pent-up hope" for change in Washington that would boost the chances of either to win the Oval Office.

Marshall and Barrow represent swing districts, and siding with a more liberal national Democrat who's unacceptable to their constituents could cause a backlash against them in their generally conservative home areas.