Hillary Clinton on Monday asked Democratic primary delegates who would have supported her in her presidential bid to back her former rival Barack Obama.

The request came in a Monday night teleconference, said Virgil J. Mayberry, a Rock Island County Board member and one of Sen. Clinton's delegates.

Sen. Clinton threw her support behind Sen. Obama Saturday after suspending her campaign.

"She wants us to unite behind Obama and help him," said Mr. Mayberry, who chairs his party's minority caucus on the county board.

Mr. Mayberry said Sen. Clinton talked for about five minutes to Democratic national convention delegates from all over the country. She appeared upbeat, he said.

"Over the phone, she seemed jovial," he said. "I can't say happy-happy, but she was talking to her people."

According to Mr. Mayberry, she also thanked the delegates for their support and said she planned on continuing to pursue health care as a major issue for the party during the upcoming campaign.

But Sen. Clinton would not discuss her intentions toward the vice president's position on Sen. Obama's ticket, he said.

Mr. Mayberry, a Democrat, said he plans to honor Sen. Clinton's request.

"I plan on working for Sen. Obama as hard as I can," he said.

Sen. Obama is a friend, said Mr. Mayberry who worked on his campaign for U.S, Senate. However, he thought Sen. Clinton was the better presidential candidate at the beginning of the campaign.

But Sen. Obama has shown during the campaign he can be a good president, Mr. Mayberry said.

"He has shown me the leadership it takes to be president of the United States," Mr. Mayberry said.

Some of her supporters are not necessarily Democrats, Mr. Mayberry said, but are people who wanted Sen. Clinton as president or supported specific issues she champions. It will be up to them where they put their support, he said.