CHEYENNE - With Barack Obama all but assured a majority of Wyoming's support at the national convention, state Democrats will gather in Jackson this weekend to select their delegates and nurture the excitement generated during the March caucuses.

Obama leads Hillary Rodham Clinton 10-5 out of Wyoming's 18 delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Denver this August. Obama picked up seven delegates by winning 61 percent of the vote in Wyoming's caucuses. Three of the state's five superdelegates are also backing the Illinois senator.

Sen. Clinton of New York picked up five delegates with her 38 percent showing in the March caucuses.

The frenzy of the caucuses - which drew the two candidates and a surge of political attention to Wyoming - helped spur a 4 percent increase in Democratic voter registration in February and March.

While registered Republicans in the state still outnumber their Democratic counterparts 2 to 1, Democrats hope this year's election will generate momentum for the party, which has seen a resurgence in neighboring Rocky Mountain states in recent years.

Bill Luckett, the state party executive director, said the extended Obama-Clinton nomination battle has retained people's interest and helped feed excitement among Democrats in the run-up to the state convention.

"We anticipate we'll have a larger percentage turnout of delegates than we have in years past," Luckett said. "It's really neat to have new people getting involved."

One of those new participants is Arlene Brayton, an artist and homemaker from Slater who plans to attend her first state convention this weekend. She said her dissatisfaction with the current administration drove her to become a Platte County Democratic Party precinct captain and then a delegate to the state convention.

"I really want to see this thing move on and have a Democratic administration in there to see things changed," said Brayton, a state delegate for Obama. "The big thing for me is that the party comes back together so we have success in the general election in the fall."

Saturday's events will include debate over the party platform and campaign pitches by Wyoming Democrats seeking office this year. But the focus will be on finalizing Wyoming's representation at the national convention. Up to 319 state delegates will be eligible to vote on the national delegates and select party members to fill those seats in Denver.

Unless many of the pledged delegates change their preference from the March caucuses, the vote will confirm that Obama will get two at-large national delegates to Clinton's one. It will also confirm that the two candidates will each have one delegate to the national convention who is a Wyoming party leader or elected official.

"One would presume (the state delegates) will vote the way they announced they would, but under Democratic Party rules they're not legally bound to vote the way they pledged," Luckett said.

Also Saturday, the county delegates are scheduled to vote for one unpledged add-on delegate to the national convention. State party Chairman John Millin, an Obama supporter, will nominate one or more candidates for the add-on position.

The state delegates will also elect the district-level delegates who will represent them at the national convention. More than 130 people have applied to run for those positions, Luckett said. Pledged state delegates for Obama will select the Obama national delegates, and vice versa for Clinton.

Joe Barbuto, a state delegate from Rock Springs, hopes to be selected as one of Wyoming's Clinton delegates to the national convention. Barbuto, who's also running this fall for a Wyoming House seat, said the proximity of the national convention and his strong support for Clinton led him to apply to be a national delegate.

"It's an especially exciting year for Democrats, and I think it will be a lot of fun," Barbuto said.

As of Monday, Obama had 1,869.5 delegates to Clinton's 1,697. A candidate needs 2,025 delegates to win the nomination.

The nomination is expected to come down to the 800 superdelegates - party activists and elected officials who aren't bound by any vote. Obama led Monday in superdelegates, 281-271.5.

Three of Wyoming's five superdelegates have now come out in support of Obama: Gov. Dave Freudenthal, Millin and state Rep. Pete Jorgensen, D-Jackson. The other two remain uncommitted. Nancy Drummond, the state party vice chairwoman, said she'll announce her candidate choice on May 27. Cynthia Nunley, a national committeewoman, said she expects to make a decision in mid-June, after the primaries and caucuses wrap up.