WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican candidate Mitt Romney dropped out of the U.S. presidential race on Thursday, a decision that makes Sen. John McCain the all-but-certain nominee of his party.
"I feel I have to now stand aside, for our party and forour country," he said in a speech to the Conservative PoliticalAction Conference.
Romney lost 14 of 21 states on Super Tuesday, the biggestday of U.S. presidential voting ahead of November's election,while Arizona Sen. McCain savoured coast-to-coast wins andcemented his position as front-runner.
The former Massachusetts governor had vowed to fight onafter Super Tuesday, but he and his campaign advisers discussedthe situation on Wednesday. Romney has been helping to bankrollhis 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 nominatingcontest between McCain, Romney and former Arkansas Gov. MikeHuckabee in order to begin what is expected to be a difficultfight against either of the two Democratic candidates, HillaryClinton or Barack Obama.
Romney's decision will raise pressure on Huckabee to do thesame.
"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to theconvention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaignand make it more likely that Sens. Clinton or Obama would win,"Romney said.
Romney did not endorse McCain in his speech. The two haveengaged in a bitter crossfire in recent weeks over who is thereal conservative.
Romney said, "I disagree with Senator McCain on a number ofissues, as you know."
But he said he agreed with him "on doing whatever it takesto be successful in Iraq, on finding and executing Osama binLaden, and on eliminating al Qaeda and terror."
The McCain campaign declined immediate comment. McCain wasto address the conference after Romney.
(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visitReuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online athttp://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)
(Reporting by Steve Holland and Andy Sullivan; Editing byDavid Alexander)
