Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has clinched the Republican presidential nomination in the Texas primary Tuesday, U.S. media reported.

U.S. Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney

Romney hit his party's "magic number" on Tuesday, unofficially clinching the Republican presidential nomination in a race he entered as the front-runner, according to CNN.

Earlier returns show Romney posting a big win in Texas, which offers 152 delegates for grabs. He surpassed the 1,144 delegates needed to win the nomination during Tuesday's primary.

On Tuesday, Romney said he was humbled to have won enough delegates to become the presidential nominee.

"I am honored that Americans across the country have given their support to my candidacy and I am humbled to have won enough delegates to become the Republican Party's 2012 presidential nominee," Romney said.

The win in Texas formalizes Romney's status as President Barack Obama's challenger in the November presidential elections. But his nomination will not be official until the Republican National Convention, to be held in August in Florida.

When Romney and Obama meet in the presidential elections, the race will be very close, ultimately decided by several swing states, a recent polling suggests.

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