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A chance to be one of Alaska's 13 pledged delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Denver this August has attracted 265 contenders, the Alaska Democratic Party announced Monday.

The Denver-bound delegates will be selected at the party's state convention in Palmer on May 24.

In a press release Monday, the party said Alaska would send a total of 18 delegates and four alternates to the national convention beginning Aug. 25.

Thirteen will be pledged delegates backing Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., or Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., the distribution between the two being determined by a procedure called a presidential "Fan Out." Eight of the 13 will be named as district-level delegates by the supporters of the presidential candidates, while another five pledged national delegates will be elected by the 411 state convention delegates elected at the Feb. 5 caucuses.

Three of those will be at-large delegates; two will be Party Leader and Elected Officials, or PLEO, delegates.

Besides the 13 pledged delegates, the state will also send five unpledged delegates. One will be elected on May 24. The other four positions will be filled by State Party Chair Patti Higgins, of Anchorage, First Vice Chair Blake Johnson, of North Kenai, National Committeeman John Davies, of Fairbanks, and National Committeewoman Cindy Spanyers, of Juneau. All four are considered superdelegates.

More than half the state convention delegates are running for slots as delegates to the national convention.

"There is a high level of interest in the process," party communications director Kay Brown said in an interview Tuesday. "We expect a large turnout at the state convention. Both the (national candidates') campaigns are working diligently to get people there."

In February, Obama was the clear choice among caucus goers, winning by a margin of three to one, and securing 306 of the 411 delegates to the state party convention. The level of intensity has not diminished since Feb. 5, Brown said.

Carolyn Covington, for 24 years the party's secretary, agreed, saying Tuesday that were the caucuses held today, there would be no appreciable difference in the outcome.

The record turnout in February, Covington said, demonstrated a keen interest in the upcoming national races for president and control of Congress.

"People are just frustrated with how things are at a national and state level," Covington said. "It is literally the wish for change and ... Mr. Obama has brought an enthusiasm that in my years with the party and my 72 years as a Democrat, I don't remember ever seeing."

The number of delegates to the state convention was determined in 2006 by the number of votes cast by Democrats when Tony Knowles ran against Sarah Palin, Covington explained. Each delegate represents 250 votes, she said.

Though the 13 national pledged delegates to be chosen May 24 will be pledged to either Clinton or Obama at Denver, Covington said they would be free to change their minds at any level, even on a first-ballot nomination vote on the convention floor, should it come to that.

"Ethically, they're likely to stay through the first vote, but they are not required to," she said.

After Tuesday's elections in North Carolina, which went big for Obama, and in Indiana, which Clinton apparently has won by a hair's breadth, the nomination remains undecided. Obama, however, showed he could win a "big" state and that he appears to have weathered a politically rough couple of months that included fallout from statements made by his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Clinton now faces mounting political pressure from supporters to drop out. If she does before the May 24 state convention, her pledged delegates would be free to back Obama.

Superdelegate Blake Johnson, of North Kenai, recently became first vice chair when former party chair Jake Metcalfe entered the race for his party's nomination to run for Rep. Don Young's U.S. House seat. Higgins took over as party chair, and Johnson, then second vice chair, moved up.

Though he has been to state conventions, he said Wednesday that Denver would be the first national Democratic Party convention he has attended.

He said he has not yet made up his mind which candidate he will support. Meanwhile, being an undecided has had some decided advantages.

"By not making a decision early, we've had the opportunity to talk to some important people," he said. "I talked with former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle (of N.D., an Obama superdelegate) on Monday, and was on a teleconference with Hillary. We've been able to talk with high-ranking officials in both campaigns to further Alaska's needs, wants and efforts."

Considering Clinton's current seemingly tenuous position and what it would mean if she did drop out, Johnson said, "There could be some changes really rapidly that would impact things real quick."

Even if that doesn't happen, Johnson said super delegates must make their feelings public by June.

"The Democrats need to make a decision when all the states are done voting," he said. "Us superdelegates need to get off the dime and make a decision."

Hal Spence can be reached at hspence@ptialaska.net.