Arizona Sen. John McCain seized command of Republican race last night, winning delegate-rich primaries in the East Coast and California.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, meanwhile, continued to prove a thorn in Mitt Romney’s side by staging a mini-comeback in the South.

But it was McCain’s victory in the Golden State that dealt the biggest blow to his closest pursuer, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

“We’ve won some of the biggest states in the country,” the Republicans’ (71-year-old) comeback kid told supporters at a rally in Phoenix, calling himself the front-runner at last, adding, “I don’t really mind it one bit.”

While John McCain celebrated with wife Cindy, Mitt Romney vowed to fight on - before having more nightmares about Mike Huckabee.

McCain’s wins aren’t convincing, but are still wins, and the delegates all go to the winner in many GOP races. If there’s an anti-McCain movement within the party, that movement can’t seem to pick a candidate.

A Romney win in Missouri or some of the Southern states where Huckabee did particularly well may have changed the complexion of this race, but as it stands, McCain is way ahead and time is running out.

In the only competition that matters, John McCain now has 522 delegates, more than 40 percent of the 1,191 needed for the nomination.

Even so, Romney (223 delegates) and Huckabee (142 delegates) both said they are planning on staying in the race until the bitter end.

On top of California, McCain won in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Missouri, Delaware and his home state of Arizona - each winner-take-all primaries. He also scored wins in Oklahoma and Illinois.

Mike Huckabee won his home state of Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee as well as the West Virginia caucuses.

Mitt Romney won two of his many home states - Massachusetts and Utah - as well as caucuses in North Dakota, Montana, Minnesota and Colorado.