Students Candidate Declares Victory
This story was written by UWIRE,
Tonight I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States, Obama said Tuesday night during a televised speech from St. Paul, Minn.
Obama secured 2,156 delegates to Clintons 1,923, according to CNN. Either candidate needed 2,118 delegates to secure the Democratic nomination.
In front of supporters in New York, Clinton congratulated Obama on the race and empowering people to be involved but stopped short of conceding.
We are grateful, and it has been an honor to contest these primaries with him, just as it is an honor to call him my friend, she said. And tonight, I would like all of us to take a moment to recognize him and his supporters for all they have accomplished.
During the day on Tuesday, news spread that Clinton told colleagues she would consider running as vice president with Obama.
As some party leaders are urging Obama to select Clinton as a running mate to unify the Democrats, political pundits are weighing the benefits of an Obama-Clinton ticket for securing the election in November, but the drawbacks for governing the future.
Tuesday night, Obama acknowledged the two candidates differences yet praised Clintons work and determination. Our party and our country are better off because of her, and I am a better candidate for having had the honor to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton, he said.
Tuesdays results: South Dakota and Montana were the last to cast their votes in the Democratic contest and split their support between both candidates. Clinton took South Dakota with 55 percent of the vote to Obamas 45 percent. Obama secured 57 percent of the vote in Montana compared to Clintons 41 percent.
New coverage from UWIRE affiliates
Primary season finally over
The battle to determine the Democratic presidential nominee ended Tuesday, June 3, as Illinois Sen. Barack Obama became the nations first black presidential nominee.
Obtaining scores of superdelegates, including former President Carter and Rep. James Clybum, Obama has broken the threshold of 2,118 delegates needed for the partys nomination, according to CNN, The Associated Press and ABC News projections.
Tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another - a journey that will bring a new and better day to America, Obama said at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.Full Story from The News Record
America, this is our moment
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama declared victory at a rally in St. Paul Tuesday night, effectively putting an end to the lengthy Democratic primary season.
After polls closed in South Dakota and Montana, Obama told a crowd of 17,000 people that he is now the Democratic presidential nominee.
Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for the President of the United States, he said.Full Story from The Minnesota Daily
Student newspapers: We want Obama
Obama consistently carried the vote among people 18-to-24 years old, according to exit polls and overwhelmingly led endorsements from college newspaper editorial boards based on a count from UWIRE.