[TinyRedLeaf]

It's official, as of Jun 4, 02:40GMT (Jun 3, 22:40EDT).

Obama wins Democratic nomination

WASHINGTON (Jun 4, 08): Barack Obama captured the Democratic presidential nomination on Tuesday, capping a rapid rise from political obscurity to become the first black to lead a major U.S. party into a race for the White House.

Rival Hillary Clinton, a former first lady who entered the race 17 months ago as a heavy favorite, did not concede to Mr Obama and said she would consult with party leaders and supporters to determine her next move.

A surge of support from uncommitted delegates helped give Mr Obama the 2,118 votes he needed to clinch the nomination and defeat Mrs Clinton.

"Tonight, we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another," Mr Obama told a cheering victory celebration in St. Paul, Minnesota, at the site of the Republican convention in September. "Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States."

Mrs Clinton congratulated Obama after he clinched the nomination, and told a cheering crowd of supporters in New York City that she would work for party unity. But she did not concede.

"This has been a long campaign and I will make no decisions tonight," she said. "In the coming days I'll be consulting with supporters and party leaders to determine how to move forward with the best interests of our party and my country guiding my way."

Mrs Clinton and her campaign have sent mixed signals over the last two days about how long she would stay in a presidential race that she began as a heavy favorite.

During the conference call with New York lawmakers on Tuesday, she was asked about running as the No. 2 to Mr Obama and said she was open to the idea. "She said she would do whatever is necessary in order to make certain that we win, and serving as vice president would be one of the things she would be willing to do," Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, a Clinton supporter who was on the conference call, told Reuters in a phone interview.