Over the last few weeks, we’ve heard  a lot about primaries and delegate counts. But do you know what a super-delegate is? Maybe, but maybe not.

So with Super Tuesday coming up on Feb. 5, and over 2,000 delegates from 24 states up for grabs, I thought we should answer the question: what exactly is a super-delegate?

Super delegates are first are foremost unique to the Democratic party primary process.

Now, don’t let the name fool you, Superdelegates can’t fly, don’t have x-ray vision, and have no discernible super human strength. What they do have is potential super political strength.

In 2004, before a single primary or caucus vote was cast, Howard Dean catupulted from virtual unknown to steamrolling front runner, all because he was able to secure the votes of a large bloc of superdelegates.

Dean’s campaign would eventually unravel. But the influence of superdelegates remains. And for good reason. Superdelegates total 796, or 1/5 of the total 4,049 delegates up for grabs in the Democratic primary process.

More importantly, Superdelegates are not bound by the decisions of party primaries or cacuses. Rather, they are reserved for elected officeholders and party officials appointed to their position by their respective state parties.

Rhode Island accounts for 32 of those delegates (Yes - again - it’s a small state). But it also makes it easy to keep track of who the delegates are, and who they’re voting for.

So who are Rhode Island’s superdelegates, and who are they supporting?

Well, let’s start with the basics, beginning with the state’s top elected Democratic officials. Senior United States Senator Jack Reed and newly elected Senator Sheldon Whitehouse each have superdelegate votes. Congressman James Langevin and Congressman Patrick Kennedy do too. Meanwhile, Democratic Party Chair Chairman Bill Lynch, Democratic Party Vice Chair Edna O’Neill Matson, top political fundraiser Mark Weiner, and AFL-CIO president Frank Montanarro round out the state’s party officials. But that’s not all: Democratic Attorneys General Association Vice President Patrick Lynch and newly elected Democratic Mayors Association David Cicilline are also granted superdelegate votes based on their positions in their respective organizations.

But wait, there’s more. In addition to knowing WHO Rhode Island’s superdelegates are, we also know who they’re voting for. And if you’re a Hillary Clinton fan, you should be smiling.

So far, the Clinton campaign can count on the official support from  Mres. Whitehouse, Langevin, and Weiner, while Cicilline and Bill Lynch have also expressed their support for the former First Lady.

Patrick Lynch, Reed, O’Neil-Matson, and Montanarro have so far not committed their votes, however, Kennedy has recently joined other family members in endorsing Barak Obama.

However you cut it, Rhode Island’s primary is not until March 4 -- four weeks after Super Tuesday. Most pundits believe that the presidential field on both sides could be settled by then. But if Feb. 5 comes and the field still isn’t set, Rhode Island is one of a handful of states that make up a smaller Tuesday primary bloc that could play a critical role in the race to the White House -  giving Rhode Island’s superdelegates even more super political strength.