McCain says he's the front-runner

John McCain, after sweeping major states in the Northeast and other delegate-rich states, declared himself the front-runner for the Republican nomination.

"Tonight, my friends, we won important victories in the closest thing we've had to a national primary," he told supporters in Phoenix. "We've won some of the biggest states in the country."

He said while he never minded being the underdog or coming from behind, "We are the Republican party front-runner for the nomination... I don't really mind it one bit."