The US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton will drop out of the nomination race by Friday, a TV report said on Wednesday.

Citing two Democratic sources, the ABC News report said the New York senator held a conference call on Wednesday in which she discussed with Congress members and Democratic superdelegates her plans to quit the race.

She also made an emotional visit to her campaign headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, speaking to her staff and inviting them to her home in Washington D.C. on Friday, the report said.

Before her visit to the headquarters, most of her campaign staff were told they would no longer have to report to work after Friday but they would be paid through June 15, it added.

As of Tuesday, the last day of the presidential primary, Illinois Senator Barack Obama had collected 2,166 delegates, exceeding the 2,118 delegates needed to secure the presidential nomination.

However, Clinton, backed by 1,919 delegates, refused to announce her withdrawal from the race on Tuesday night, saying she would consult with her supporters and party leadership before deciding her next move.

But even some of her most loyal backers, according to ABC, have begun to publicly urge her to quit the race to clear the way for Democrats to unify and meet the challenge from Republican rival John McCain.

(Xinhua News Agency June 5, 2008)