Colo. Sen. Salazar to nominate Obama on Wednesday

DENVER _ Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar will be one of the speakers who will nominate Barack Obama before roll call at the Pepsi Center on Wednesday night.

Salazar said Tuesday he has been chosen to give one of the nominating speeches at the before the vote to nominate Obama is taken.

Salazar is a southern Colorado rancher and first-term senator who previously served as state attorney general. His brother, John, is a Colorado congressman and fellow Democrat.

"I am honored to have the historic opportunity to nominate Sen. Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States of America," Ken Salazar said in a written statement.

John Straayer, a political science professor at Colorado State University, said the decision makes sense, considering Salazar is the state's native son and that the move can help Democrats gain votes in Colorado.

"This is Denver, this is the Southwest, and there is a significant Hispanic population here and Salazar resonates well with them," Straayer said.

On Thursday night, speakers include former Vice President Al Gore, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and five other Coloradans: Gov. Bill Ritter and Reps. Diana DeGette, Ed Perlmutter, John Salazar and Mark Udall. Udall is running for the Senate.