Romney wins Kentucky, Arkansas primaries

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mitt Romney is creeping ever closer to ditching the `presumptive' tag in his quest for the Republican presidential nomination.

Romney swept the Kentucky and Arkansas Republican presidential primaries yesterday.

In picking up at least 73 of a possible 75 delegates, Romney's total is now 1,065, leaving him just 79 shy of the 1,144 delegates needed to win the GOP nomination for president. He should reach the threshold next week, when voters go to the polls in Texas.

As voters in the two Southern states weighed in, Romney spent yesterday evening at a fundraising event in New York where his campaign said he raised $5 million. Romney's campaign has raised roughly $15 million during a three-day fundraising swing in the New York area.

He is scheduled to make a campaign appearance today in Washington.

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