The Democrats vying for the committee endorsement Sunday are trying to out-endorse each other with 6 days to go before the party officials vote.

Rich Fitzgerald's campaign has put a premium on endorsements from political, union and party leaders, focusing on them during his campaign kickoff and dedicating a page of its website to a full list of endorsers.

Yesterday the Mark Patrick Flaherty campaign struck back, highlighting an endorsement from the Chartiers Valley Democratic Chairs, a group that represents about 1/4 of all the chairs countywide.

A full press release from the Flaherty camp is after the jump:

IMPERIAL, PA--An organization representing approximately 25 percent of all Democratic Committee chairs in Allegheny Countytonight endorsed county Controller Mark Patrick Flaherty's bid to become the county's next chief executive.

"I'm deeply grateful, and humbled, by this tremendous show of support from such a highly regarded organization," Flaherty said after Chartiers Valley Democratic Chairs voted 18-8 to endorse him during a meeting at a restaurant here. The group traditionally meets in advance of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee's annual endorsement meeting, which will take place Sunday.

Flaherty said the endorsement confirms other indications that his campaign is building momentum heading into the countywide endorsement meeting.

The Char Valley Democrats is composed of committee chairs from 33 municipalities and two Pittsburgh wards in the west and south parts of the county. Flaherty, the two-term county controller, previously was endorsed by the Eastern Region Democratic Organization, comprised of committee chairs in 19 communities in the east portion of the county.

Communities in the Char Valley Democrats include Baldwin, Baldwin Township, Bethel Park, Brentwood, Bridgeville, Carnegie, CastleShannon, Collier, Corapolis, Cresant, Dormont, Findley, Foward, Franklin Park, Green Tree, Kennedy, McKees Rocks, Moon, Mt. Lebanon, North Fayette, O'Hara, Pleasant Hills, Rosslyn Farms, Robinson, Scott, Sweckley, South Fayette, Stowe, Thornburg, Upper St. Clair,West Mifflin and Pittsburgh Wards 27 and 28.