By Jonathan Allen, CQ Staff

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama picked up the support of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson , who began the year as a rival for the Democratic presidential nomination. Richardson, in a statement posted Friday on the Web site of his defunct presidential campaign and e-mailed to supporters, also called for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to end her own campaign for the nomination for the good of the Democratic Party.

Richardson served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and as Energy secretary during the presidency of Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton’s husband.

Richardson, in his statement, offered brief praise for the Clintons and their political contributions. But he said the long and contentious battle over the nomination needs to end so the party can focus on the general election contest against Arizona Sen. John McCain , who early this month secured enough delegates to clinch the Republican nomination.

“It is time, however, for Democrats to stop fighting amongst ourselves and to prepare for the tough fight we will face against John McCain in the fall,” Richardson said.

Richardson’s position as governor makes him the most prominent Hispanic official in the nation, and his past roles as a Cabinet official and a long-serving U.S. House member before that make him arguably the most accomplished Hispanic politician in the nation’s history.

The endorsement from Richardson could give a lift to Obama’s effort to improve his showings among Hispanic voters. Clinton has longstanding ties to this constituency dating to her time as first lady, and Obama — in his bid to become the nation’s first African-American president — may be hindered by longstanding frictions among some blacks and Hispanics over economic issues, ethnic tensions and political representation.

Richardson described Obama as the candidate who can unify the country, citing the speech the senator made Tuesday concerning racial reconciliation in America as he sought to distance himself from inflammatory remarks on race relations made in the past by the pastor at his Chicago church.

“Senator Obama has started a discussion in this country long overdue and rejects the politics of pitting race against race,” Richardson said. “He understands clearly that only by bringing people together, only by bridging our differences can we all succeed together as Americans.”

Though Obama made only three glancing references to Americans of Hispanic origin in his speech, Richardson said he was moved.

“As a Hispanic, I was particularly touched by his words. I have been troubled by the demonization of immigrants — specifically Hispanics — by too many in this country. Hate crimes against Hispanics are rising as a direct result and now, in tough economic times, people look for scapegoats and I fear that people will continue to exploit our racial differences — and place blame on others not like them,” Richardson said.

The fast-growing and politically emerging Hispanic constituency typically has a strong overall lean toward the Democratic Party, though some analysts of both parties view McCain as having some potential of cutting into that support. McCain was co-author, along with Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy , of a three-part immigration overhaul measure that would have strengthened border enforcement while establishing a temporary-worker program and creating a path to citizenship for immigrants who are currently in the country illegally. The measure ultimately was stalled by opposition, mainly from conservatives who described the assimilation provisions as “amnesty,” a charge that has caused lingering problems for McCain within Republican ranks.

But Democratic officials argue that McCain pulled back on his moderate stance during a Republican presidential nominating campaign in which most of his opponents took a much harder line on immigration. McCain said during debates that he would now give precedence to border security issues and would even vote against his own bill were it to be revived at this point in the Senate.

Nonetheless, the perceived need to solidify Hispanic support for the general election has led to speculation that Richardson could be on the short list of potential candidates for the Democratic vice presidential nomination.

The timing of Richardson’s announcement — after most states, and the most heavily Hispanic states, have voted — might dilute its benefits to Obama in his campaign to clinch the Democratic nomination. Clinton’s strong showing among Texas’ sizable Hispanic population enabled her to score a narrow victory over Obama in that state’s March 4 primary, which was crucial to her ability to stay competitive in the national contest. Hispanic support also was key to her primary victory in California, the nation’s most populous state, on Feb. 5.

Of the states that have yet to hold nominating contests, only Oregon has a Hispanic population that reaches a double-digit share of its residents at 10.2 percent according to Census Bureau figures. The second-highest Hispanic proportion of the population among states that have yet to vote is in North Carolina, where Latino residents make up less than 7 percent of the population. North Carolina’s primary is May 6, while the vote-by-mail primary in Oregon ends on May 20.

In addition, it is not completely clear how much clout Richardson has nationally in swaying Hispanic voters. Richardson, whose “Anglo” name doesn’t give away his ethnic identity, was expected to make a strong effort early in his 2008 presidential bid to build a base of support among Hispanics, but surprised many observers by instead focusing on a broader appeal that emphasized his experience in international relations. That strategy failed, as Richardson drew minimal vote shares in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary and withdrew from the race on Jan. 10.