TIME photographer Callie Shell follows the candidate on the night of his historic victory
Over the Top
At the close of the polls on Tuesday, Barack Obama cleared the threshold of 2,118 delegates needed to be nominated at the party's convention in Denver in August.
Next Stop: Denver
In the coming months, the nominee will have to choose a running mate. Many Democrats hope that he offers the job to his rival of the last 16 months, Hillary Clinton.Photographs for TIME by Callie Shell / Aurora
The Nominee
Obama's supporters cheer as their candidate thanks them at a rally in St. Paul, Minnesota. "Because of you," he said, "Tonight I can stand here and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States of America."
Flipping
Obama attends a pancake breakfast for veterans and their families on the day before the primary in South Dakota.
Something to Smile About
As the race neared its end, a number of prominent Democrats, including former President Jimmy Carter, voiced their support for the candidate.
In Motion
After enduring a 16-month campaign, through 57 contests in five months, Obama still needed 41 delegates to clinch the party's nomination going into the last two primaries.
Call to Change
Obama's 16-month primary campaign broke records for the number of voters who participated.
Praising Obama
The candidate and his wife watch Hillary Clinton speak from New York City. During her speech, Ms. Clinton noted that "Senator Obama has inspired so many Americans to care about politics and empowered so many more to get involved."
Making History
In his victory speech, Obama, the first black candidate to lead a presidential ticket for a major party, said, "Tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another — a journey that will bring a new and better day to America."
Quiet Moment
Michelle Obama gives her husband a hug backstage at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
