Romney sweeps 5 GOP presidential primaries

[June 06, 2012]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mitt Romney has won the California Republican presidential primary, completing a sweep of contests in five states.

Romney also won presidential primaries Tuesday in New Jersey, South Dakota, New Mexico and Montana.

The victories add to a delegate total that already exceeds the number needed to win the nomination. Romney has 1,398 delegates. He needs 1,144 to win the Republican nomination at the party's national convention in August.

Romney will take on Democrat Barack Obama in the fall.

A total of 264 delegates are at stake in Tuesday's contests -- including 169 in California -- and Romney has a chance to win them all.

After Tuesday, only one Republican presidential primary remains, in Utah on June 26.

[Associated Press; By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER]

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.