Arkansas delegates to the Democratic National Convention cast 37 votes for Barack Obama during Democrats’ official roll call to nominate their presidential choice this afternoon.

Eight votes went to Hillary Clinton, who earlier Wednesday released her pledged delegates to vote for Obama if they so chose.

Rebecca Gwatney, who announced the state Democrats’ votes inside the convention hall, said they heeded Hillary Clinton’s call for unity within the party.

Clinton won the state’s Democratic primary overwhelmingly on Feb. 5. Before Wednesday, her pledged delegates from Arkansas outnumbered Obama’s nearly 4-to-1.

Initially, the secretary of the convention incorrectly announced the state’s tally as unanimous for Obama.

State Rep. Steve Harrelson, D-Texarkana, who is seated with the state’s delegation, said Gwatney’s microphone was mistakenly cut off before she read the vote totals.

Here is her statement in its entirety, courtesy of the Democratic Party of Arkansas:

On behalf of the great state of Arkansas, the adopted home of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the state that provided her with her largest margin of 70 percent in the 2008 Democratic primary, and a state with an admiration for Bill and Hillary Clinton that is unmatched throughout this country, I am proud tonight to follow Sen. Clinton’s call for unity, and to unite behind Sen. Barack Obama and elect him the next president of the United States.

Arkansas casts 37 votes for Barack Obama and eight for Sen. Clinton.

Together we will take back the White House.

Hillary Clinton paid tribute to Bill Gwatney in her Democratic National Convention speech.

Clinton called Gwatney “one of our finest young leaders” and that Gwatney “believed with all his heart that America and the South could be and should be Democratic from top to bottom.”

Gwatney’s widow, Rebecca, is watching the speech with former President Bill Clinton in a private box at the convention hall.

Rebecca Gwatney was elected by the state’s Democrats to fill her late husband’s spot at the convention.

Hillary Clinton praised Rebecca Gwatney for traveling to Denver so shortly after Bill Gwatney’s Aug. 13 death.