House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says her party may be hurt if it fails to nominate the U.S. presidential candidate preferred by Democratic voters.

“If the votes of the superdelegates overturn what happened in the [caucus and primary] elections, it would be harmful to the Democratic Party,” she said.

“It’s a delegate race,” Nancy Pelosi added this weekend on ABC’s This Week. “The way the system works is that the delegates choose the nominee.”

The California Democrat did not mention Sen. Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton by name, but her remarks seemed to suggest she was prepared to cast her ballot at the convention in favor of the winner in pledged delegates.

Obama leads Clinton by about 140 in pledged delegates, having expanded his lead slightly thanks to Iowa Democrats this weekend, but it is unlikely he will end the primary season with the 2,025 needed to win the nomination.

That gives the balance of power to the 796 superdelegates - prominent Democrats who are automatically entitled to attend the convention because of their status as members of Congress, governors of states or other leaders.

Hillary Clinton lead among superdelegates by 30-40 in most counts, though they are free to change their minds and several hundred remain uncommitted.

Pelosi’s comments could influence other House Democrats who are neutral in the presidential race and will attend the convention as superdelegates.

In a declaration that gives a boost to Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi also said that even if one candidate winds up with a larger share of the popular vote than the delegate leader, the candidate who has more delegates should prevail.