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ELECTIONS
Cleckley heading to Denver for DNC
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Purchase this photoHUNTINGTON -- Betty Cleckley is going to Denver in 53 days, and it's sure to be a historic occasion.
Cleckley, who spent 18 years as the vice president for multicultural affairs at Marshall University, will head to the Democratic National Convention in Denver as the sole pledged delegate for Sen. Barrack Obama, D-Illinois, from West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District.
"I met (Obama) in 2006 at a reception for him and Senator Robert Byrd," Cleckley said. "I've been a fan of his ever since. He's charming and absolutely brilliant, and I like his values."
Cleckley did volunteer work for Obama's primary campaign in South Carolina and Ohio, and will now be on hand as the African-American senator accepts what will be a historic nomination as the Democratic candidate for president.
"I've never undertaken anything like this before," Cleckley said.
In fact, Cleckley said she was unsure whether she would ever witness such a moment.
A Huntington native and a graduate of the all-black former Douglass High School, Cleckley left the state to pursue her college education because many West Virginia colleges didn't allow African-American students at the time.
"I grew up in the era of segregation, so, no, I never thought I would see something like this in my lifetime," she said.
It might be her only chance to take part in such a historic event, she added.
"I'm a senior citizen," she said with a laugh. "This is literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Cleckley said she believes Obama will be the next president of the United States.
"I'm very excited," she said. "I have no idea what this is going to be like, but I'm excited."
In West Virginia's three congressional districts, there are 21 pledged delegates, three of which are alternates. Only six, including an alternate, pledged their vote to Obama. The rest pledged for Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., who has since suspended her campaign and called for Democrats to rally around her competitor.
Of West Virginia's 13 at-large delegates -- two of which are alternates -- four, including one of those alternates, are pledged for Obama.
The number of delegates a candidate collects during primary season determines who emerges as the nominated candidate for a given political party.
Obama obtained the necessary number of delegates to defeat Clinton last month, despite a string of losses in key states in one of the longest-running presidential primaries in the country's history.
Betty Cleckley
Hometown: Huntington
Occupation: Retired from Marshall University, where she was the school's first director of multicultural affairs. She served in that position from 1989 until her retirement in October 2007. Cleckley has been involved in education administration for more than 30 years.
In politics: Since retiring, Cleckley has served as a volunteer for Sen. Barrack Obama's campaign for the presidency. Obama secured the Democratic nomination last month. Cleckley is the only pledged delegate for Obama in West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District, and will be attending the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August, where Obama will accept the nomination.
