WASHINGTON (AP) -- Barack Obama erased Hillary Rodham Clinton's once-imposing lead among superdelegates today when he added more endorsements from the group of Democrats who will decide the party's nomination for president.

Obama added superdelegates from Utah and Ohio, as well as two from the Virgin Islands who had previously backed Clinton. The additions enabled Obama to surpass Clinton's total for the first time in the campaign. He had picked up nine endorsements yesterday.

The milestone is important because Clinton would need to win over the superdelegates by a wide margin to claim the nomination. They're a group that Clinton owned before the first caucus, when she was able to cash in on the popularity of the Clinton brand among the party faithful.

But those party insiders have been steadily streaming to Obama since he started posting wins in early voting states.