After Mitt Romney swept the five Republican primaries being contested Tuesday, he turned from securing the Republican nomination and toward the general election against President Barack Obama. The former Massachusetts governor was projected to win in Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. With a big lead in delegates and his nearest competitor out of the race, Romney told a cheering victory rally in New Hampshire, "A better America starts tonight." According to a CNN estimate, Romney has 695 of the 1,144 delegates needed, with Santorum holding 273 delegates, Gingrich 141 and Paul 72. By CNN's count, the earliest Romney could reach the nomination threshold is late May, while Obama already has clinched the Democratic nomination, as expected.
