Superdelegate Cardin will remain uncommitted until all primaries are over

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Baltimore)WASHINGTON-- U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Baltimore) will not endorse a Democratic candidate for president “until all the voting is completed in June,” said Sue Walitsky, the communications director for the senator.

“He wants to give everyone a chance to vote,” Walitsky told PolitickerMD.com.

The comments come one-day after Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) defeated Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in Pennsylvania, which means the contest will continue until at least May 6, when voters in North Carolina and Indiana go to the polls.

Walitsky said Cardin believes Obama and Clinton are “two strong candidates,” which is part of the reason why he hasn’t endorsed.

After the voting is complete in early June, Cardin plans to endorse a candidate “sooner rather than later,” according to Walitsky.

When asked about the potential negative impact that the divisiveness of the campaign could have on the Democrats’ chances in the general election, Walitsky said, “There’s a long time between now and November.”

She said the senator was confident that the “party will be united behind the standard-bearer,” and also referred to the high increase in Democratic “turnout and new registration” throughout the primaries as evidence of the party’s strength.

“The Democratic Party will have an organization that will have been tested in all 50 states,” Walitsky said.

As a senator, Cardin will cast his vote as a superdelegate at the Democratic National Convention, which begins on August 25 in Denver.

When asked if Cardin felt obligated to cast his vote in accordance with the results of the Maryland primary, which Obama won by 25 points, Walitsky said that while the will of the people was certainly important, Cardin would also take “into consideration” the advice of his colleague, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Baltimore), and the advice of Gov. Martin O’Malley (D), both of whom are Clinton supporters.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Baltimore) is one of Obama’s strongest state supporters.