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Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Supporters of Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney gather under screens projecting early election returns before Romney's election night rally, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Boston. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Mitt Romney late Tuesday was playing with grandchildren and watching election returns from a waterfront hotel room while a crowd of supporters heard his top surrogates praise the candidate for a hard fought campaign.

Ohio Sen. Rob Portman repeated a slogan from "Friday Night Lights" that had become the campaign's informal slogan: "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose, so I want you to think about that tonight," said Portman, who played Barack Obama in Romney's debate preparation.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell praised Romney as a "great candidate" and said he felt good about the Republican hopeful's chances in his state.

Romney's personal aide tweeted photos of Romney and his wife Ann with some of their 18 grandchildren.

Romney's running mate, Paul Ryan, was also waiting at the hotel for election results.

The Republican nominee has already written a 1,118-word victory speech as he concludes his yearslong quest for the presidency claiming he had no regrets.

"I feel like we put it all on the field. We left nothing in the locker room. We fought to the very end, and I think that's why we'll be successful," Romney told reporters aboard his plane as he flew from Pittsburgh to Boston, where preparations were underway for a big election night event at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel.

Romney's son Craig appeared briefly in the ballroom to warm up the crowd gathering to hear from the Republican ticket later in the evening. Craig Romney said that after his father dropped out of the race for the GOP nomination in 2008, Ann Romney had been opposed to another run but eventually changed her mind.

"We're grateful that she convinced him to get into the race because we know that my dad has been uniquely prepared," he said.