Mitt Romney Sweeps GOP Primaries, Promises 'Better America'

Mitt Romney took the reins of the Republican Party vowing to put an "end to the disappointments" of the Obama administration.

Mitt Romney laid claim to the fiercely contested Republican presidential nomination Tuesday night with a fistful of primary triumphs, then urged all who struggle in a shaky U.S. economy to "hold on a little longer, a better America begins tonight."

Romney is still 300 delegates shy of a nominating majority, although he is far ahead of his most persistent rivals. There were 209 delegates at stake in Tuesday's primaries, and he won at least 146.That left him with 844 delegates of the 1,144 needed for the nomination, compared with 260 for Santorum, 137 for Newt Gingrich and 79 for Ron Paul.

In remarks prepared for delivery in New Hampshire, where his campaign began almost a year ago, Romney is to congratulate the other contenders for a hard-fought race and thank his supporters for “a great honor and solemn responsibility.”

Obama won the presidency in 2008 in the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression, and since then economic growth has rebounded slowly and joblessness has receded gradually, although housing prices continue to drop in many areas of the country.