It may be small consolation for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton after a weekend of four state primary and caucus losses across the country, but Allegheny County Democratic Committee members overwhelmingly backed her candidacy over Sen. Barack Obama in a nonbinding straw poll conducted during yesterday's annual endorsement meeting.

The real business of the day came in the endorsement contests that determined party organization support for the primary elections in contested congressional and legislative races. The Pennsylvania primary is April 22.

In the 18th Congressional District, Monroeville businessman Steve O'Donnell won the party organization's support for the right to challenge the incumbent, Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair. Mr. O'Donnell had 115 votes, followed by Brien Wall, an Upper St. Clair businessman, with 81; Beth Hafer, of Mt. Lebanon, who works for the consulting firm operated by her mother, former state Treasurer Barbara Hafer, 51; Penn Hills school board member Erin Vecchio, 49; and Iraq war veteran Wayne Dudding, 28.

The 18th District has a Democratic registration advantage but bucked a Democratic congressional tide two years ago in easily turning aside a challenge from Democrat Chad Kluko.

State Rep. Jake Wheatley narrowly won the endorsement for re-election in the 19th Legislative District, which extends from the Hill District through the North Side. He had 55 votes to edge Deidra Washington, with 52. This is a district that traditionally produces close contests. Ms. Washington, who once worked on Mr. Wheatley's legislative staff, was reportedly supported by city Councilwoman Tonya Payne, a sometime rival of Mr. Wheatley on Hill District development issues.

In the 21st Legislative District, in Pittsburgh's eastern neighborhoods, former city Councilman Len Bodack Jr. had twice as many votes as his closest competitor, former state Rep. Frank Pistella, who was seeking the committee's support to return to the seat he lost in the Democratic primary to Lisa Bennington two years ago. Ms. Bennington has announced her plan to retire after only one term in Harrisburg.

Mr. Bodack had 60 votes, followed by Mr. Pistella, with 29; Dominic Costa, a former Pittsburgh police official, 11; Dan DeMarco, 8; county Councilwoman Brenda Frazier, 3; and Paul McKrell, 1. Mr. Bodack is seeking a return to public life after being ousted from his City Council seat last year in a primary loss to Councilman Patrick Dowd.

In the only other contested county race, Pittsburgh Councilman Dan Deasy won the endorsement in the 27th Legislative District with 74 votes, over Ryan Douglass, 22; and John Paul Jones, 8. The seat was opened with the retirement of veteran Rep. Tom Petrone.