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Cover Story

Grades 2-3

Republican Winner

John McCain likes to tell people he is "the luckiest man you will ever meet." As a Navy pilot, he withstood several near-death experiences. In 1967, during the Vietnam War, he survived more than five years as a prisoner of war.

On Tuesday, McCain's luck held. He earned the Republican Party nomination for President. He needed 1,191 delegates for the win. With four big wins, his delegate count soared to 1,289. This September, McCain will formally accept the nomination at a convention in Minnesota.

Good fortune may have helped McCain, but so did hard work. Last summer, his campaign was running out of money. Still, he soldiered on, meeting and talking with voters. One by one, his opponents dropped out.

McCain jokes that he is "older than dirt, with more scars than Frankenstein." At 72, he would be the oldest first-term President ever. He has traveled a long road to get where he is. He knows that there's more rough road ahead. Still, he promises to run a fair campaign against his opponent, whoever it is.

Last week, McCain urged his supporters to gear up for a battle that won't end until Election Day, in November. "Stand up with me, my friends, and fight for America," he said. "The contest begins tonight."

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