Many of the 44 names on John Edwards's endorsement list released yesterday are familiar to people who watched the Democratic presidential candidate's run in 2004. Some people are new. At least a couple are missing.

Three of Edwards's top supporters, all state senate leaders, announced their endorsement on a conference call yesterday and fielded questions on how they can increase their political influence even while one of Edwards's most prominent supporters in 2004, Sen. Lou D'Allesandro of Manchester, is considering other candidates.

"We can't look back at who wants to sign up and who doesn't," said Sen. David Gottesman of Nashua, deputy Democratic whip, who supported Edwards in 2004 but wasn't a senator then. "We are just as committed, and we can lead the way on this campaign."

Senate Majority Leader Joe Foster of Nashua and Deputy Majority Leader Peter Burling of Cornish also announced their support. Foster supported Edwards early in 2003. Burling then favored former congressman Dick Gephardt.

"New Hampshire is not just the city of Manchester," Burling said, referring to D'Allesandro's home.

Burling lauded the leadership of his fellow senators and said he will be helping Edwards with events in state and beyond. If Edwards wants his support in Iowa, he said, "I'll get my knapsack and go there, too."

Foster said Edwards is a steady competitor whose support "will peak at the right time, and that's when we have the New Hampshire primary."

At three, Edwards has the most state senate endorsements of the top-polling Democratic candidates. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has no state senate endorsements so far. New York Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign announced its first yesterday, from Manchester Sen. Betsi DeVries, along with the names of 500 women from across the state who have pledged their vote.

While Clinton's campaign is aggressive in announcing endorsements in frequent press releases, Obama's campaign puts less emphasis on both getting them and showing them off.

"The focus of our campaign is a grassroots initiative to change politics in America," said Reid Cherlin, Obama's New Hampshire press secretary. "It's more about all of our hopes for what America can be than about who's supporting whom."

The Edwards supporters announced yesterday make up his "leadership committee." That's standard campaign lingo, but Edwards Deputy Press Secretary Kate Bedingfield said the group is a "new and different campaign structure," in which committee members will be doing grassroots organizing.

"The design is unlike your typical leadership committee, where you garner a bunch of names, put them on a list and try to impress people with who's involved," said Harry Judd, a Bow selectman and prominent Democratic activist who was on the list.

Judd was an early supporter of Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack until he dropped out of the race in February. Edwards was the obvious next choice, he said.

"There are no secrets, no surprises with John Edwards," he said. "He's the only one so far who has put out serious comprehensive plans for what he would do as president. . . . He's ahead of the rest."

Judd is married to Mary Beth Walz, a state representative and district director for Democratic U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes. Asked what his role in the campaign could mean for his wife, Judd said she's staying neutral as long as her boss does.

In addition to state senators, Edwards's committee includes a dozen state representatives, local officials, former legislators and two county Democratic chairmen. It's heavier with political influence than the list was in mid-2003, when only three legislators had signed on.

The absence of D'Allesandro, who is considered one of the state's top political fundraisers, is notable. D'Allesandro is chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. He has said he won't likely support Edwards again, but he won't say who will get his endorsement until after negotiations over the state budget are done.

"I'm taking my time looking everybody over and trying to do my work in the state," he said.

Rep. Martha McLeod of Franconia was another major Edwards supporter in 2004. She has endorsed Clinton this year. She said she was impressed by Clinton's knowledge about rural health care and economic issues when the two met in Clinton's Washington, D.C., office.

It was Edwards's attention to the economic needs of the North Country that drew Coos County Democratic Chairman Paul Robitaille's support. He was with John Kerry in the 2004 primary. Robitaille said he thinks the race will be decided by rural voters.

"They're tired of having politicians that are coached by consultants," he said. "They want the real thing. I think John Edwards knows that."

Tim Decker, a former State Employees Association president, and Joe Donahue, chairman of the Derry democrats and a political activist with the New England Council of Carpenters, were on the endorsement list and were a labor union presence that was less obvious early in Edwards's 2004 campaign.

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By CHELSEA CONABOY

Monitor staff