Maine will be sending five superdelegates to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this July, in addition to the 25 pledged delegates allotted to the state of Maine.

Because Bernie Sanders won the Maine caucuses by 64.3 percent, to Hillary Clinton’s 35.5 percent, he has 16 of those 25 delegates pledged to vote for him, and she has nine of those delegates pledged to vote for her. The five superdelegates, however, are free to vote for whomever they please, regardless of how the people of Maine voted.

One of the superdelegates, Phil Bartlett of Gorham, has said he will wait until after the primaries to decide who to vote for. Troy Jackson of Allagash has said he will vote for Sanders. The other three – Chellie Pingree, Maggie Allen of Madison and Peggy Schaffer of Vassalboro – initially said they would vote for Clinton; now they say they will support whichever candidate gets the most pledged delegates nationally.

I believe that Maine’s superdelegates should vote as Maine voted, not as Mississippi or any other state voted. These three people have a duty to reflect the wishes of Maine voters only – to do anything else would be profoundly disrespectful and undemocratic. Mainers turned out in record numbers this year and waited in very long lines to vote, so the superdelegate votes must honor ours.

Marty Berry

Gorham