Washington - US Senator Hillary Clinton called the election of Democratic nominee Barack Obama as US president "an historic victory for the American people."

The wife of former president Bill Clinton, Senator Clinton narrowly lost the centre-left Democratic Party's presidential nomination to Obama before endorsing the Illinois senator.

"This was a long and hard fought campaign but the result was well worth the wait," Clinton said.

"Together, under the leadership of President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and a Democratic Congress, we will chart a better course to build a new economy and rebuild our leadership in the world." (dpa)