WASHINGTON (AP) -- Hillary Rodham Clinton's once-sizeable lead among superdelegates is gone.

Barack Obama has picked up the backing of nine superdelegates, including New Jersey Congressman Donald Payne, who had been a Clinton supporter.

Obama won a convincing victory in the North Carolina primary and lost Indiana narrowly on Tuesday. He has been steadily gaining strength in the days since.

Clinton today gained a superdelegate, leaving her with 271.5 superdelegates. Obama now has 271. A little more than four months ago, she led by more than 100.

Payne is one of at least 10 superdelegates who have switched allegiances from Clinton to Obama. None has publicly switched the other way.

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