In the U.S., Mitt Romney "almost certain" to be the Republican candidate

The moderate Mitt Romney is virtually assured of winning the Republican nomination for U.S. President in November, said Sunday the influential Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, supported by Mr. Romney, saying the race is "mathematically" finished . Mitt Romney, who faces the ultraconservative Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and to Ron Paul, won 14 of the 25 states which have held primaries or "caucus", popular assemblies, since the beginning of the year.

The former Massachusetts governor has "already almost a third of the delegates he needs to ensure the party's nomination and mathematically Rick (Santorum) should win 75% of remaining delegates" to win, Graham said in an interview on ABC.

Delegates are "electors" who are committed to supporting a particular candidate at the Republican convention in August, which will be referred to the candidate who will face Barack Obama. Senator Graham also noted that former Senator Rick Santorum had done "an outstanding job starting from almost nothing to become a serious rival in this campaign." Similarly, Newt Gingrich "has risen two or three times" in the race.

"Mathematically it's almost finished, but not a point of view of emotions" generated by this campaign, he said. "If Romney does well, if he wins either Mississippi or Alabama (Tuesday, ed) and he wins Illinois, I think it is virtually impossible (the primary) are continuing to beyond the month of May, "Graham said.

Mitt Romney has 446 delegates, or 37.7%, according to the specialized site Realclear Politics. Rick Santorum, former Senator from Pennsylvania (northeast) account 199 or 27.3% of the total needed, followed by Newt Gingrich, 117 (14.3%) and Ron Paul, 61 (11.3%).