To the surprise of probably no one, Sen. Obama has pulled ahead of Sen. Clinton in the number of superdelegates.

Senator Barack Obama has passed his opponent, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, in the count of superdelegates, the first time since the outset of the race that Mrs. Clinton has lost the lead in one of her few remaining trump cards.

Mr. Obama picked up endorsements on Friday from four more superdelegates, the Democratic Party insiders who are granted autonomy to support whomever they wish at the convention in August. One, a New Jersey congressman, switched his allegiance away from Mrs. Clinton, allowing the Illinois senator to pull ahead of his rival, according to the latest New York Times count.

The Times’s tally shows Mr. Obama with 264 superdelegates against 263 for Mrs. Clinton, based on telephone polls conducted with CBS News as well as public endorsements. A separate count by The Associated Press shows Mr. Obama still trailing by fewer than four votes. And a measure by ABC News shows the Illinois senator already ahead, 267 to 265.

The tide turns in yet one more election metric — in Sen. Obama’s favor.