(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-02-10 09:06

WASHINGTON - Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won the Republican presidential contest in Kansas on Saturday, Fox News Channel projected, showing signs of life in a nominating race front-runner John McCain has nearly sewed up.

US Republican Presidential candidate and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee delivers his morning speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington February 9, 2008. [Agencies]

The win for Huckabee followed a strong showing in the South earlier in the week, when the Baptist minister won four Southern states and West Virginia in "Super Tuesday" voting involving nearly half of US states.

Huckabee vowed earlier in the day, during an appearance at a conference of conservative activists, to continue his shoestring campaign that has appealed to social and religious conservatives.

"Am I quitting? Let's get that settled right now. No, I'm not," Huckabee said at the conference.

Victory for McCain, an Arizona senator, is almost certain after his chief rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, dropped out on Thursday. Huckabee is now his only major opponent and is running a distant second.

McCain has rolled up more than 700 of the 1,191 delegates needed to win the Republican nomination at this summer's nominating convention.

But McCain still faces widespread opposition from conservatives unhappy with his views on immigration, tax cuts and other issues. Huckabee said he would continue his campaign at least until McCain captured the decisive number of delegates.

"I know that I won't drop out until at least that happens and then we'll see," he told reporters after his speech, denying he was hoping to become McCain's vice-presidential running mate.

"I did not major in math, but I majored in miracles, and I still believe in them," Huckabee said later at a rally at the University of Maryland in College Park.

The Democratic Party's race is much tighter, with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton nearly tied in the delegates count in what has become a two-candidate battle to represent the party in November's election.

The two Democrats will face off in three states on Saturday, with Nebraska, Louisiana and Washington all holding nominating contests.

Huckabee took a veiled swipe at Clinton at the conservative meeting, noting that in Arkansas, he was "the only person who's ever run against the Clinton political machine and beat it."

Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, preceded Huckabee as Arkansas governor.