Upon the closing of polls in South Dakota, Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Towson) endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination tonight.

Sarbanes announced his support along with 25 other superdelegates -- the only Marylander to do so -- solidifying Obama's hold on the delegates needed to nominate at the August Democratic National Committee Convention.

"Now that the votes have been cast and the primary season has come to its close," Sarbanes said in a statement, "I am pleased to play a part in ratifying the decision of the voters in my district and across the country."

"Moving forward, the importance of unifying the party behind one candidate is vital and Democrats in the Third District, the State of Maryland, and the nation are quickly turning their focus to electing Senator Obama as our next President."

Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton have both claimed 11 Maryland DNC superdelegates, with 8 left undeclared.