McCain wins Rhode Island Republican contest

BOSTON, March 4 (Reuters) - Arizona Sen. John McCain won the Rhode Island contest to pick a Republican presidential candidate and clinched the nomination on Tuesday to represent the party in the November general election, U.S. media projected.

With 265 delegates to the Republican nominating convention this summer at stake in Tuesday's voting, McCain received the 1,191 delegates he needed to become the presidential candidate.

McCain has been the party's presumptive nominee since his main opponents bowed out of the race, but he still faced opposition from former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is running a distant second. (Reporting by David Alexander, editing by Lori Santos)