US presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has announced the end of her campaign to become the Democratic nominee for US president, and has fully backed Barack Obama.

The senator went on to say that the Democratic voters “need to do all we can” to help elect Barack Obama as the next president of the United States, in a speech at the National Building Museum in Washington.

Urging the Democratic voters to come together, she said “I endorse him and throw my full support behind him. and I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me.”

Mrs Clinton said: “I intended to win back the presidency… and that’s what we must do by ensuring Barack Obama walks through the doors of the Oval Office in January.”

She told her supporters to: “Aim high, work hard and care deeply about what you believe in.”

After securing the nomination, Barack Obama will face the Republican presumptive nominee, John McCain, in November.

According to CNN, in a poll they released on Friday, the Democratic voters are split after the primary season that stretched nearly 18 months ending with Clinton bowing out of the race.

60% of Clinton supporters said they would vote for Obama, but 17% said they would vote for John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee and Obama’s rival in the general election.

22% said they would not vote at all if Clinton was not the Democrats’ nominee, throwing a tough challenge for Obama.