WASHINGTON—Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton neared the finish line of their dramatic Democratic presidential duel on Monday, with Obama poised to claim the nomination as Clinton faced the possible end of her bid.
Campaigning before the final two nominating contests in Montana and South Dakota, Obama promised to unify the party for the November election against Republican John McCain and said he and Clinton would be able to come together.
"Senator Clinton has run an outstanding race, she is an outstanding public servant, and she and I will be working together in November," Obama, an Illinois senator, said during a campaign stop in Troy, Michigan.
Clinton made a final campaign visit to South Dakota before she returns to New York on Tuesday for a rally that could be her farewell to a race she entered as a heavy favorite but now has almost no chance of winning.
Obama is about 40 delegates shy of the 2,118 needed to clinch the win, and could reach the number quickly with help from some of the approximately 180 uncommitted superdelegates—party officials who can back any candidate.
Those superdelegates are expected to start announcing their endorsements once the voting ends in Montana and South Dakota, which have a combined 31 delegates at stake.
Voting ends in South Dakota at 7 p.m. MDT/9 p.m. EDT (0100 GMT), and in Montana at 8 p.m. MDT/10 p.m. EDT (0200 GMT), with results expected shortly after.
Campaign spokesman Mo Elleithee told reporters Clinton had no plans to pull out of the race on Tuesday night.
"She'll be spending the coming days making the case to undecided delegates," he said in South Dakota. "She's in this race until we have a nominee. She expects to be that nominee."
But in an e-mail fund-raising appeal sent to supporters, Clinton sounded like a candidate counting down the hours.
"I am so proud of the journey you and I have taken together, and of everything we have accomplished along the way. Tomorrow night, we'll count the final votes. Today, let's keep fighting," Clinton said.
Clinton's campaign is at least $20 million in debt, including more than $11 million she loaned it from her own pocket. Campaign workers who handle her advance travel arrangements have been told to go home until there are more trips planned, aides said.
Clinton scored an easy win over Obama in Puerto Rico's nominating contest on Sunday, aiding her argument to superdelegates that she would be a stronger candidate against McCain.
More Popular Votes?
The New York senator also makes the debatable claim that she has won more popular votes than Obama in the five-month race for the Democratic nomination, and has argued that superdelegates committed to Obama could still switch to her.
Obama gained another five superdelegates on Monday and Clinton picked up two, but the slow trickle of endorsements could turn into a flood by Wednesday.
"One thing about superdelegates is that they can change their minds," Clinton told reporters on her campaign plane on Sunday.
"This has been such an intense process that I don't think there's been a lot of time for reflection of the sort that I've advocated," she said.
Clinton's popular-vote math includes a disputed vote total in Michigan, where the contest was not sanctioned by the national party and Obama was not on the ballot. It does not count contests won by Obama but waged in a caucus system that does not tally individual votes.
Popular votes do not determine the party's nominee, who is selected by delegates at the convention. Obama's lead in delegates is unassailable unless Clinton wins nearly all the remaining uncommitted superdelegates.
Obama's visit to Michigan, a battleground state in November, came two days after a party committee voted to seat the state's delegation to the August nominating convention at half-strength and award a portion of the delegates to Obama even though he was not on the ballot.
That decision was a blow to Clinton, who did not want any Michigan delegates awarded to Obama, and ignited a firestorm of criticism from Clinton supporters.
While campaign adviser Harold Ickes reserved the right to challenge the decision later this summer and even at the convention in August, Clinton and other campaign officials have shied away from promising such a move.
"We reserve the right to do so but haven't made a decision," Clinton told reporters on Sunday. "We'll get to that in due time to consider whether we will or not."
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