NORTH COUNTY -- California's increasingly key role in presidential politics will be underscored later this month when Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, John Edwards and Bill Richardson are among those expected in San Diego to address nearly 3,000 delegates at the state party convention.

It will be the first time the party has brought its convention to San Diego, and with 370 of the state's 441 national delegates at stake in the Feb. 5 primary -- rather than in June when the primary had traditionally taken place -- candidates can no longer put off campaigning in the Golden State until well after the January Iowa caucuses.

"All the main players will be at our convention," said Jess Durfee, chairman of the San Diego County Democratic Party in reference to the presidential hopefuls. "We've gone to the early primary and we have more delegates to the national convention than any other states."

Presidential candidates used to put the state's convention on their schedules if time permitted, but they didn't consider it as a must-do.

"This will be the jumping off point for them to build solid campaign organizations in California," Durfee said. "Appearing at the convention used to be a good idea. Now it's mandatory."

The three-day gathering starts Friday, April 27, at the San Diego Convention Center and continues through Sunday morning. A firm schedule for the addresses by the presidential candidates has not been set.

One thing is certain. On Saturday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, will be honored at a $250-per-plate dinner.

San Diego County will be represented at the convention by 42 delegates, a figure derived from the current countywide registration of more than 472,000 registered Democrats. County delegates represent one-third of the overall number of delegates with another third coming from elections conducted in state assembly districts in January and one-third represented by elected officials and their designees.

The state had 6.7 million registered Democrats as of Oct. 23.

While the Feb. 5 primary will decide how 370 of the state's delegates are apportioned, the remaining 71 delegates are members of Congress or party members who will be officially unpledged when they arrive at the national convention in Denver in August 2008.

There is a chance for some fireworks in San Diego beyond the remarks delegates will hear from Clinton, Obama and other top-tier Democratic candidates. Members of the state's Progressive Democrats, part of a national group founded in 2004 with 15 chapters in California, say they plan to push for resolutions and commitments from the candidates to end the war in Iraq, put impeachment of President Bush front and center and call for universal health insurance.

For more information about the convention, see the state Democratic Party Web site at www.cadem.org, click on the calendar link and scroll down to April 27.

Contact staff writer Mark Walker at (760) 740-3529 or mlwalker@nctimes.com.