PARTNERS: Barack Obama and his vice presidential running mate, Joseph Biden, wave to supporters after accepting the Democratic nomination in Denver on August 29

Democratic Party candidate Barack Obama won the U.S. general elections on Tuesday after grabbing at least 297 electoral votes needed to capture the White House, the U.S. media said.

Projections conducted so far showed that his Republican rival John McCain collected only 145 electoral votes. 270 electoral votes are needed for a candidate to win the U.S. presidency.

(Xinhua News Agency November 5, 2008)