Roy Romer, a former Colorado governor and Democratic National Committee chairman, threw his support behind Sen. Barack Obama today as the presidential candidate who can win Western states and ultimately the White House in November.

"I think Senator Obama offers a very strong leadership based on hope and change that's struck a deep chord in the American hearts and minds," Romer, a key superdelegate, said in a teleconference arranged by the Obama campaign.

"I think the West is ripe for his candidacy," Romer added, noting that the Illinois senator beat Sen. Hillary Clinton in the Colorado caucuses by 67-to-32 percent.

Romer, a longtime Clinton ally and former co-chair of President Bill Clinton's 1996 reelection campaign, stressed that he wasn't trying to force Hillary Clinton out of the marathon primary battle.

"This has been a very vigorous primary and Sen. Clinton has been a very strong and formidable candidate," Romer said, describing her as a personal friend who will continue to be a vital leader and asset for the Democratic Party.

"But the math is controlling," Romer said. "This race, I believe, is over. Sen. Obama has accumulated a lead in delegates chosen in primaries, caucuses and superdelegates that cannot be overcome."

Romer said he chose to make his decision known before Saturday's state Democratic Party convention to prod cohorts as they pick delegates to the national convention in Denver this August.

"A lot of people in the party are ready to close down the primary and get on with the general election," Romer said, adding that he believes "it is the time for the party to unify" behind Obama for the coming battle against Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee.

"For those of us who are superdelegates, it's important for her to know where we are so that she is not mislead," Romer said of Clinton. "I think all superdelegates would help the party by making (their votes) known as quickly as they can.

"That's not forcing anybody out of the race. That's simply giving them facts that they can then base their own campaign decisions on," he added.

Superdelegates are the Democratic elected officials and party leaders who are free to support whichever candidate they feel has the best chance of winning in November.

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe stressed the West's crucial role in the candidate's general election strategy.

"We think Barack Obama has shown a real strength in the Western part of the country and that's going to be integral to us winning the presidency in November," Plouffe said.

"We believe Colorado, a state Governor Romer knows as well as anybody, is going to be, not just a battle ground state, but a state we believe we can win and put in the Obama column in November," he said.

"I think particularly in Western states, Senator Obama is going to provide a terrific electoral climate for Democratic candidates up and down the ballot," he added.