Bill Richardson may endorse by Friday

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a key superdelegate in the U.S. presidential contest, said he would decide this week whether to endorse a Democratic candidate.

Richardson, himself an early candidate for the Democratic nomination for president, remained on the fence for endorsing a particular candidate. But, in an interview with The Albuquerque Journal, Richardson said, "I'm going to decide whether to endorse certainly this week."

Stateline.org reported Monday that, with it increasingly unlikely either Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., or Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., will reach the 2,025 delegates needed to secure the Democratic nomination for president, superdelegates such as Richardson become more influential for the Aug. 25-28 Democratic Naitonal Convention in Denver.

Richardson spoke Monday to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change in Washington, urging Washington to follow Western states like New Mexico and California that have taken aggressive steps to diminish their environmental impact, the Journal said Tuesday.