Pelosi Urges End To Democratic Race

Pelosi, a senior Democrat, told ABC News it was important to get behind one candidate if the party expected to win the White House in November.

A number of supporters of Barack Obama have been calling for his rival Hillary Clinton to concede the race. Pelosi did not say which candidate she preferred.

Her comments come after those made by the Democrat's National Chairman, Howard Dean who said that he'd like to see the race concluded by early July.

New York Senator and former first lady Hillary Clinton has rejected calls by Obama supporters to abandon her campaign for the Democratic nomination.

She is trailing the Illinois senator in the number of delegates needed to obtain the nomination.

But the latest opinion polls suggest that she is leading Obama by more than 10 points in the next major primary in Pennsylvania on 22nd April.

Obama has distanced himself for calls for Clinton to concede the race, saying she should be able to compete as long as she is able and has supporters.

It is being reported, however, that her campaign is in financial trouble again with several million dollars of unpaid bills.

Obama currently leads by 1,631 delegates to the party convention in August to Clinton's 1,501.

To secure the nomination, the winner must secure 2,024 delegates - which correspondents say neither candidate will be able to do on the basis of delegates won in the remaining primary elections alone.

If Clinton manages to win a larger share of the national popular vote, it is thought that she may secure the backing of the so-called super-delegates who could tip the balance.

Analysts say a bitter, drawn-out fight between the two contenders, going right up to the Democratic convention in August, could damage the eventual nominee's chances of beating their Republican rival, John McCain.