Washington, May 4 : Barack Obama has defeated his Democratic Party rival for this August’s presidential nomination Hillary Rodham Clinton by seven votes in the Guam Democratic presidential caucuses.

The count of more than 4,500 ballots took all night. Neither candidate campaigned in the U. S. island territory in person, but both did long-distance media interviews and bought campaign ads for the caucuses.

Results of the count completed on Sunday morning Guam time show Obama with 2,264 votes to 2,257 for Clinton's slate. That means they'll split the pledged delegate votes. Obama's slate won in 14 of the 21 districts.

Clinton issued a statement Saturday night promising, "I will continue to champion the issues facing the people of Guam, and when I'm president I will ensure that hard-working families of Guam have the resources and the opportunity to succeed."

Obama's campaign had no immediate reaction to the results.

Eight pledged delegates will attend the convention, each with one-half vote.

U. S. citizens on the island, however, have no vote in the November election.

The territory also sends five super delegates to the National Convention in August in Denver.

Presidential caucuses on Guam usually pass without much notice from the candidates.

Clinton and Obama pitched improved health care and economic opportunity as they courted Guam voters from across the international date line. (ANI)