Text size:

Giuliani to drop out after McCain takes Florida

BY REID J. EPSTEIN with staff and wire reports | reid.epstein@newsday.com

10:10 PM EST, January 29, 2008

Governor Crist Joins McCain At Florida Polling Station

Republican U.S. presidential hopeful and U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) (L) speaks to the media as Florida Gov. Charlie Crist looks on as they visit a polling station at Mahaffey Theater January 29, 2008 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Getty Images / January 29, 2008)

John McCain won the Florida primary and will be endorsed Wednesday by Rudy Giuliani, who will drop out of the race, according to the Associated Press.

McCain's victory makes him the clear front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. He now has a clear delegate lead over chief rival Mitt Romney and a victory in a closed-primary state. In his previous wins in New Hampshire and South Carolina, McCain had strong support from independents, who were not allowed to vote in Florida.

Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee are far behind, with several news outlets -- including Time Magazine and NBC News -- reporting that the former New York City mayor will drop out of the race Wednesday and endorse McCain.

Giuliani gave a speech that strongly implied he was leaving the presidential race, but he never said so explicitly. He spoke mostly in the past tense, but did not say he would drop out of the race.

"I love competition," he said. "I don't back down from a principled fight, but there must always be a principled fight.

"Elections are about a lot more than just candidates. Elections are about fighting for a cause larger than ourselves."

In his victory speech, McCain sounded like a man who believes he's the front-runner. He praised rivals Romney, Huckabee and especially Giuliani, whom he called "an exceptional American leader."

"In one week, we will have as close to a national primary as we have ever had in this country," McCain said. "I intend to win it and be the nominee of our party."

A hoarse Romney gave a call-and-response concession speech to supporters, running through a list of issues he said Washington lawmakers have not fixed. As he listed each one, the crowd yelled "they haven't."

"I think it's time for the politicians to leave Washington and for the citizens to take over," Romney said.

McCain received 36 percent of the vote, Romney 31 percent, Giuliani 15 percent and Huckabee 13 percent, according to results posted on the Florida Department of State's Web site.

Huckabee conceded first during a speech from Missouri, promising to compete in culturally conservative states voting Feb. 5. He also took a shot at Giuliani.

"I'm going to the debate tomorrow in California," he said. "I'm not sure everybody's going to be there, but I will."

On the Democratic side, Hillary Rodham Clinton will win a ceremonial victory over Barack Obama and John Edwards. The Florida Democratic Party forfeited its delegates to the national convention when it moved its primary election ahead of Feb. 5.

The Democratic candidates each pledged to not campaign or advertise in Florida, though Clinton held an event in Davie Tuesday night after the polls close.

Clinton celebrated her symbolic victory in front of a sign-waving crowd. She gave her campaign stump speech with a few panders to the local audience.

"I promise you that I will do everything I can that not only are Florida's Democratic delegates seated but that Florida is in the winning column for the Democrats in 2008," she said.

Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, largely bypassed early-voting Iowa and South Carolina and began pulling resources from New Hampshire as he slid in the polls there. He based his presidential hopes on winning today's GOP primary in Florida, the first large state to vote.

The former New York City mayor appears likely to finish third or worse in the statebehind McCain, the Arizona senator, and Romney, the former Massachusetts governor.

Nearly one million Floridians voted early in Tuesday's election, either by mail or at specified early-voting sites. A proposed state constitutional amendment limiting property taxes was also expected to increase turnout.