Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is running for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination. Before entering public service, Romney was CEO of Bain & Company, a management consulting firm. He co-founded Bain Capital, a private equity investment firm. His first foray into public service was as CEO of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City He was elected Governor in November 2002 and served only one term.
Early Life
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Mitt Romney, like many baby boomer politicians, grew up in a political family. His father, George W. Romney, was governor of Michigan and a Republican presidential candidate in 1968; he served as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Nixon. His mother, Lenore Romney, ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in 1970.
After graduating from high school, Romney briefly attended Stanford University before spending 30 months in France as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), commonly known as the Mormon Church. He attended Brigham Young University upon his return to the states and graduated as valedictorian, with a degree in business.
After graduating from high school, Romney briefly attended Stanford University before spending 30 months in France as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), commonly known as the Mormon Church. He attended Brigham Young University upon his return to the states and graduated as valedictorian, with a degree in business.
Family Life
Romney married Ann Davies in 1969. They have five sons and eleven grandchildren. He has three older siblings: Lynn Romney Keenan, Jane Romney Robinson, and G. Scott Romney.Romney has served his church as a part-time lay minister and as a stake president. If he were to win the presidential nomination, he would be the first Mormon on a major party presidential ticket. At least three other Mormons have sought the office in recent history: his father (1968), Mo Udall (1976) and Orrin Hatch (2000). Romney and his wife have a net worth of $190-250 million. About $30-36 million is liquid; most is in two blind trusts. Another blind trust, for their children, is valued at about $100 million. As of August, he had put $9 million into the campaign.
Pre-Political Career
From 1978-1988, Romney he worked in business in Boston, serving as CEO of Bain Capital and Bain & Company, Inc. In 1994, Romney was the Republican candidate for Senate, unsuccessfully challenging Ted Kennedy, who won with 58% of the vote. Romney entered public life full time in 1999 as the head of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. Under Romney's leadership, the games were financially successful. He donated his salary to charity and also donated $1 million to the games; Romney wrote about this experience in Turnaround. From 1999-2002, Romney claimed claimed Utah as his residence, carrying a Utah drivers license and receiving a property tax break reserved for residents.Politics
Romney returned to Massachusetts in 2002 and was drafted to run for governor (he spent $6.3 million of his money on the race). But the Massachusetts Constitution requires seven consecutive years of residency. However, the Massachusetts Ballot Law Commission (three Republicans, one Democrat and one independent) unanimously ruled that Romney was eligible to run for Governor.Romney faced a budget shortfall upon entering office but left with a surplus, in part by raising taxes (2-cents on gasoline) and in part by reducing spending (college tuition increased from $2,959 in 2003 to $4,836 in 2007). In his last year as governor, his approval rating was 43%.
The Issues
- Abortion - supports overturning Roe v Wage; supports Constitutional ban
- Crime - supports death penalty and three-strikes laws
- Defense - increase military spending to 4% of GDP
- Education - supports charter schools
- Gay Marriage - supports Constitutional ban
- Immigration - supports expanded legal immigration and registration of illegal immigrants as route to citizenship
- Iraq - supported invasion in 2003
- Taxes - supports eliminating estate tax and capital gains tax if annual income is less than $200,000; opposes any increase in income tax
- Terrorism - supports doubling Guantanamo and limiting detainee access to lawyers
- Torture - supports "enhanced interrogation techniques" authorized by the President
The Campaign
Romney's campaign got a boost in August, when he won the Ames, IA straw poll with 31% of the vote; Mike Huckabee came in second with 18% of the vote. Ron Paul came in fifth with 9.1%. Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Fred Thompson did not participate.Romney addressed the topic of his religion in the "Faith In America" speech on 6 December 2007. It has been compared (favorably and unfavorably) to one given by John F. Kennedy, also from Massachusetts, who was Catholic.
Romney In The News At About.com
Books and DVDs
- 60 Minutes - Mitt Romney (May 13, 2007), buy the DVD
- A Mormon in the White House?: 10 Things Every American Should Know about Mitt Romney, buy the book
- Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games, buy the book