Romney, Mitt (1947-…), an American politician, was the Republican nominee for president of the United States in the 2012 election. He lost the election to President Barack Obama. Romney had previously sought the presidency in 2008 but failed to win his party’s nomination. Romney served as governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. He also had a successful career in business. By securing the Republican nomination in 2012, Romney became the first member of the Mormon Church to become a major party’s presidential nominee. In 2018, Romney won an election to represent Utah in the U.S. Senate.
Early life and family.
Willard Mitt Romney was born in Detroit on March 12, 1947. His father, George W. Romney, served as governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969 and as U.S. secretary of housing and urban development from 1969 to 1973. His mother, Lenore LaFount Romney, ran unsuccessfully for a Michigan seat in the U.S. Senate in 1970.
Mitt Romney enrolled at Stanford University in 1965 but left after his freshman year. In 1966, he went to France to do missionary work for the Mormon Church. He returned from France in 1968.
Mitt Romney met Ann Davies while the two were in elementary school. Mitt proposed to Ann in 1965, at his high school senior prom. The couple married in 1969. They have five sons: Tagg, Matt, Josh, Ben, and Craig.
Mitt Romney graduated from Brigham Young University in 1971. He earned a master’s degree from Harvard Business School and a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1975.
Business career.
In 1977, Romney joined the management consulting firm Bain & Company. He soon became a vice president of the firm. In 1984, Romney and partners of Bain & Company cofounded Bain Capital, a private investment firm. Romney earned great wealth in business.
From 1999 to 2002, Romney was president of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Before Romney took over, the project was troubled by scandal and financial problems. Romney gained national attention for helping make the games a financial and critical success. Romney wrote a book, Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games (2004), describing his efforts.
Political career.
In 1994, Romney won the Republican nomination for a Massachusetts seat in the U.S. Senate. That November, he lost the election to long-time incumbent Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy, the brother of the late President John F. Kennedy.
Romney won election as governor of Massachusetts in 2002. As governor, he worked to eliminate large budget deficits and to improve the state’s education system. He proposed and signed into law a measure to provide health care for uninsured Massachusetts residents.
Romney did not seek reelection as governor in 2006. In 2007, he began campaigning for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. He dropped out of the race in February 2008, however, after losing most nominating contests to Arizona Senator John McCain.
In 2011, Romney declared his candidacy for the 2012 Republican nomination. Romney clinched the nomination in May 2012. He outlasted his main opponents, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich of Georgia, and U.S. Representative Ron Paul of Texas.
At the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, delegates nominated Romney for president and U.S. Representative Paul Ryan for vice president. Romney and Ryan then campaigned against the Democratic nominees, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, in the general election.
In advertisements, campaign appearances, and debates, Romney and Obama sparred fiercely over a variety of issues. Chief topics included tax policy, the role of government, health care reform, and foreign affairs. Obama held a comfortable lead over Romney in public opinion polls into the fall of 2012. Observers praised Romney’s strong performance in the contest’s first presidential debate in October, and the race grew closer. In the November election, Obama defeated Romney to retain the presidency. 
In June 2018, Romney won the Republican nomination for a U.S. Senate seat. Romney had begun his campaign after Orrin Hatch, a long-time Utah senator, had stated he would not seek reelection. In November, Romney easily won election to the Senate.
As a senator, Romney became one of the few members of his party to criticize Republican President Donald J. Trump. In 2020, in Trump’s first impeachment trial, Romney was the only Republican senator to vote with Democrats to convict Trump on abuse-of-power charges. In 2021, in Trump’s second impeachment trial, Romney joined six other Republicans senators in voting to convict Trump on charges of inciting an insurrection. The Senate found Trump “not guilty” in both trials.
In 2023, Romney announced that he would not seek reelection to the Senate in 2024.
See also Obama, Barack; President of the United States; Republican Party; Romney, George Wilcken; Ryan, Paul.
