BOSTON--Declaring that Massachusetts needs "a change and a new direction," W. Mitt Romney last night accepted the Republican nomination to face U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy '54-'56 in November's general election.

"And now we ignite the final stage of this rocket, the next stop is going to be the United States Senate," Romney told a crowd of cheering supporters at the Boston Sheraton in the Back Bay.

With 91 percent of the state's precincts reporting, Romney held 173,153 votes or 82 percent of the electorate, while fellow GOP opponent John R. Lakian garnered a mere 37,512 votes or 18 percent.

Romney will now face Kennedy November 8 in what is expected to be a close, highly publicized and expensive race.

A survey this month conducted by a Cambridge polling firm showed Romney and Kennedy running virtually dead even, with 43 and 42 percent of the vote respectively.

In last night's victory speech, Romney emphasized that Kennedy's proposals and solutions to problems are out-of-date and in need of change.

"I was 15 when Ted was elected for the first time ...The answers of the past just are not working anymore," Romney said.

Romney, a self-made millionaire and chief executive officer of venture capital firm, Bain Capital, said his experience in the private sector will prove more valuable than his opponent's 32 years in office.

"My experience is not in Washington as a politician, but in creating new jobs," Romney said. "There is too much talk, finger-pointing in Washington...all the talk has got to stop, it's time to take action."

Romney, who resides in Belmont, attacked Kennedy's solutions to several social problems, especially poverty and crime.

"It's time for us to bring work back into welfare," Romney said.

Romney supports gun control and advocates the death penalty for criminals who kill police officers and for those citizens who "murder in cold-blood."

"It is time for us to get tough on criminals and not the other way around," Romney said yesterday.

With speculation mounting yesterday that Kennedy plans to air a set of negative ads beginning this morning at 5 a.m., Romney emphasized last night that he will not participate in any form of mud-slinging during the general campaign.

"We're focusing on issues, we're going to attack Ted Kennedy's record," Romney said. "We're not going to distort his record."

Although Lakian picked up some momentum this month with a last minute ad campaign promoting his proposed 17 percent flat tax, the Woods Hole resident last night conceded the race to Romney at about 9:45 p.m.