SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.-Texas Gov. George W. Bush secured victories in eight states and took California's 162 delegates in yesterday's primary elections - moves that place Bush far ahead of Arizona Sen. John McCain in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
Although McCain took most of the New England states, Bush won in the key states of New York, Ohio and California.
A candidate needs 1,034 Republican delegates to be chosen as the Party's nominee. At press time, Bush had earned a total of 660 delegates and McCain had 210.
Bush made a victory speech in Austin, Tex., last night and shifted some of his focus to the general election race against Vice President Al Gore, who is likely to capture the Democratic nomination after he easily defeated former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley last night in all 15 Democratic primaries and caucuses.
The Texas governor repeatedly has emphasized the necessity to unify the Republican Party.
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"It's important to have a standard bearer," Bush said at an Oakland, Calif., rally Sunday.
Bush picked up 58 percent of the vote in Ohio, while McCain won only 37 percent. In New York Bush received 51 percent of the vote to McCain's 43.
In California, the candidate who wins the most votes among registered Republicans receives all the state's 162 delegates. At press time, with 41 percent of precincts reporting, Bush was leading McCain by 26 points among Republican voters: 61-35.
Bush was able to carry California easily even though Secretary of State Bill Jones - the highest-ranking Republican in California - supported McCain.
Jones said he supports McCain because of "his unique personality."
A candidate needs to win the state's votes somewhere down the line - either during the primary elections or the general elections - to win the Presidency, Jones said in an interview with The Cavalier Daily.
McCain did not give a concession speech last night in San Diego but said he "will take some time to enjoy our victories and take stock of our losses."
The candidate previously has said he can draw more votes against Gore in the general election than Bush.
"I'm the only candidate that can beat Al Gore," McCain said Sunday.
McCain supporters said losing all of California's delegates does not necessarily mean the end of the senator's campaign. Sue Woods, McCain's San Francisco campaign coordinator, said Republicans should consider factors other than the number of delegates in choosing its presidential nominee, including who wins the popular vote.
"It points out the absurdity of the California rules" that a candidate can win the state's delegates even if he may not be the strongest general election candidate, Woods said.
In a last-minute campaign effort in San Francisco, McCain supporters stood on street corners urging Californians to vote for the Arizona senator.
But other voters said Bush deserves the Republican nomination. Davis, Calif., resident Joan Stephenson said she does not particularly like McCain's politics.
"I don't like his style - he's too pushy," Stephenson said.
Many New England voters supported McCain over Bush - the senator took the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont all by over 20 points.
But Connecticut voters were split, as McCain squeaked by Bush, 49-47.
Looking forward to the general election, Bush is likely to focus on education in his campaign against Gore.
"I've got a vision and I've got a record and I've got a plan," Bush said Sunday. One of his priorities is "making sure every child gets education in America." Other key issues the governor has touched upon are campaign finance reform and dealing with the budget surplus.
"The surplus is the people's money," Bush said. "The role of government is to create an environment where the entrepreneur can flourish."
Analysts have said McCain's strong campaign for reform would make him a good presidential candidate for the Reform Party. But McCain dismissed these rumors in his speech last night and said he has a commitment to the Republican Party.
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