Republican candidate Mitt Romney dropped out of the US presidential race on Thursday, a decision that makes Senator John McCain the all-but-certain nominee of his party.
“I feel I have to now stand aside, for our party and for our country,” he said in a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference. Romney lost 14 of 21 states on Super Tuesday, the biggest day of US presidential voting ahead of November’s election, while Arizona Senator McCain savoured coast-to-coast wins and cemented his position as front-runner.
The former Massachusetts governor had vowed to fight on after Super Tuesday, but he and his campaign advisers discussed the situation on Wednesday. Romney has been helping to bankroll his campaign using his own personal wealth.
“This is not an easy decision for me. I hate to lose,” Romney said. Many Republicans are eager for an end to the nominating contest between McCain, Romney and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee in order to begin what is expected to be a difficult fight against either of the two Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. Romney’s decision will raise pressure on Huckabee to do the same.
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