Claar is Romney's 11th Congressional District Delegate

Mayor Roger Claar is one of 108 convention delegates pledged to support presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.

Claar, a prominent Republican in the area, will serve as Romney's 11th Congressional District delegate. 

Jan. 6 was the last day for the 2012 GOP presidential campaigns to file their delegates with the state Board of Elections.

Illinois State University political science professor Bob Bradley said the delegate slates help gauge the strength of a campaign, if not the candidate.  

"That's why you pay attention to these filings," Bradley said. "You have to see who is on these delegate lists. They could be the next up-and-comers in the party. You also get a sense of who is important." 

The delegates, chosen from each of the Illinois' 18 Congressional Districts in the March primary, will go to the national nominating conventions where they will vote on the nominee for president. This year, the conventions will be held in August in Tampa, FL, for the Republicans and September in Charlotte, N.C., for the Democrats. 

Illinois Republicans will send 108 delegates in all, but only 54 will vote for a presidential candidate. The other 54 will serve as alternates. Democrats will send 123 to their convention for President Barack Obama. 

Delegates are elected individually from each of the state's 18 congressional districts. Voters have to chose the delegate by name; a vote for the candidate is not counted as a vote for that candidate's delegates.   

Romney's campaign was the first of the GOP candidates to file its list of supporters. The campaign for the former Massachusetts governor also filed a full slate of 54 delegates and 54 alternates.   

Romney's Illinois campaign chairman and state Treasurer Dan Rutherford said he was first in line Tuesday with his slate of supporters.  

Joining Rutherford and Claar on the Romney team are state Rep. Patti Bellock, R-Hinsdale, state Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, and state Rep. Rich Brauer, R-Petersburg.  

Bradley said people selected to be delegates are known commodities in the political world, but he adds that "going to a convention is a cool perk." 

But the conventions, Bradley said, will not decide the candidates. The race for the GOP nomination will probably be over long before the August convention, he said.  

"You have one or two candidates who stay in the race no matter what," Bradley said. "But for the most part the race will be over by the Super Tuesday primary." 

Super Tuesday is the multi-state primary on March 6. Voters in Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota,  Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia go to the polls and select the GOP presidential nominee.

For more information in Illinois delegates, CLICK HERE.

Editor's Note: Information from an Illinois Statehouse News article was used in this report.