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McCain emerges Republican front-runner

MIAMI (FLORIDA): John McCain emerged as the clear front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination with a victory in the hotly contested Florida primary, lining up a quick endorsement from soon-to-be dropout Rudy Giuliani before next week’s coast-to-coast contests.

The Republican nomination fight finally has boiled down to a two-man race between the Arizona Senator and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney after a year of volatility that made 2008 the party’s most wide-open race in half a century.

Hillary Rodham Clinton won a largely symbolic victory in the Democratic race in Florida. No delegates were at stake and no candidates campaigned there because of a dispute between the state and national parties over the date of the primary.

Still, Ms. Clinton, locked in a tight race with Barack Obama, looked for her wide margin of victory to boost her campaign ahead of next week’s “Super Tuesday”.

For Mr. McCain, the Florida victory was worth 57 Republican National Convention delegates, a winner-take-all haul that catapulted him ahead of Mr. Romney for the overall delegate lead.

A disappointed Mr. Romney promised to press on after his second place finish following a tough Florida battle in which he traded insults and accusations with Mr. McCain. The once-crowded field is set to grow thinner on Wednesday when Mr. Giuliani, the former New York mayor, drops out of the race and endorses Mr. McCain. Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards is also to quit his bid for his party’s nomination, reports said. Mr. Edwards, who has staked his campaign on a populist message, has consistently trailed rivals Ms Clinton and Mr. Obama.

Returns from 99 percent of Florida’s precincts showed Mr. McCain, with 36 per cent of the vote and Mr. Romney, with 31 per cent.

Mr. Giuliani trailed with 15 per cent, Mr. Huckabee had 13 per cent, and Mr. Paul, 3 per cent. — AP

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