Romney concedes defeat

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Republican presidential candidate Gov. Mitt Romney arrives to his election night rally on Wednesday, in Boston.

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BOSTON (AP) — Mitt Romney has conceded defeat in the presidential contest.

The Republican nominee told supporters he would pray for Barack Obama’s success in leading the nation.

Romney thanked his running mate Paul Ryan, saying the Wisconsin congressman had a bright future in

the GOP.

Romney lost nearly all the major battleground states to Obama including Ohio, the hardest fought prize.

The former Massachusetts governor said it was time to put aside partisan bickering and work together for the good of the country.

Romney continued Republicans’ long presidential winning streak in North Dakota. Only three Democratic presidential candidates have carried North Dakota since statehood. The last one was Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

Obama got almost 45 percent of the vote and won 13 North Dakota counties four years ago. It was the best Democratic presidential showing in North Dakota since 1976.

But Obama largely wrote off the state this time around. Neither the president nor Romney campaigned in North Dakota.

Tuesday’s victory gives Romney three electoral votes. A minimum of 270 electoral votes is needed to win.

Dejected Romney supporters milled around a hotel ballroom where the Republican hopeful had planned to declare victory and groaned as key battlegrounds moved Obama’s way.

Obama’s victory in closely fought Ohio narrowed Romney’s path to the 270 electoral vote. The Democrat also was declared the winner in other swing states including New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Colorado and Iowa. Michigan and Pennsylvania, which Republicans hoped to put in play, stayed in Obama’s camp as well. Florida and Virginia remained too close to call at press time.

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