Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney
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Name	Mitt Romney
Caption	Official portrait, 2012
Office	United States Senator from Utah
Term start	January 3, 2019
Predecessor	Orrin Hatch
Office1	70th Governor of Massachusetts
Term start1	January 2, 2003
Term end1	January 4, 2007
Predecessor1	Jane Swift
Successor1	Deval Patrick
Party	Republican
Spouse	Ann Davies (m. 1969)
Alma mater	Brigham Young University (BA), Harvard University (JD, MBA)
Religion	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Mitt Romney is an American politician, businessman, and member of the Republican Party who has served as the junior United States Senator from Utah since 2019. He previously served as the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and was the Republican nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 presidential election, losing to incumbent Barack Obama. The son of former Michigan Governor George W. Romney, he has been a prominent figure in American politics and business for decades.

Early life and education

Willard Mitt Romney was born on March 12, 1947, in Detroit, to George W. Romney and Lenore Romney. He spent his early years in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and later lived in Bloomfield Hills while his father served as chairman of American Motors and later as Governor of Michigan. Romney attended the prestigious Cranbrook Educational Community before graduating from Cranbrook Schools. For his higher education, he attended Stanford University for one year before undertaking thirty months of missionary service for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in France. Upon his return, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Brigham Young University in 1971. He then attended Harvard University, where he simultaneously earned a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1975.

Business career

Romney began his business career as a management consultant at Boston Consulting Group before moving to the consulting firm Bain & Company. In 1984, he co-founded the private equity investment firm Bain Capital, one of the largest such firms in the nation. Under his leadership, Bain Capital made early, lucrative investments in companies like Staples, The Sports Authority, and Domino's Pizza. His tenure was marked by both successful turnarounds, such as with Wesley Jessen, and controversial leveraged buyouts that sometimes led to job losses, as seen with Ampad. In 1990, he returned to Bain & Company as CEO to lead a successful financial restructuring. His business acumen formed the foundation of his public image as a skilled executive and problem-solver.

Political career

Romney first entered political life by challenging longtime incumbent Senator Ted Kennedy in the 1994 U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts, losing by a significant margin. He gained national prominence in 1999 when he was named President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics, rescuing the games from a major scandal and financial crisis. Capitalizing on this success, he was elected Governor of Massachusetts in 2002. As governor, he presided over the passage of the landmark Massachusetts health care reform law, which served as a model for the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. He also closed a substantial budget deficit without raising income taxes but faced criticism for his shifting positions on social issues like abortion and LGBT rights.

2012 presidential campaign

After an unsuccessful bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, Romney secured the nomination in 2012. He selected Paul Ryan, a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin, as his running mate. The campaign, run against incumbent President Barack Obama, focused heavily on economic issues, criticizing the pace of the recovery from the Great Recession. A pivotal moment was the release of a secretly recorded video from a private fundraiser where Romney spoke of "the 47 percent" of Americans who he said were dependent on government. Despite strong performances in the presidential debates, he lost the election, with Obama winning both the Electoral College and the popular vote.

Post-2012 political activities

Following his presidential defeat, Romney remained an influential voice within the Republican Party, frequently criticizing the rise of Donald Trump. After moving to Utah, he was elected to the United States Senate in 2018, succeeding retiring Senator Orrin Hatch. In the Senate, he has served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. He gained significant attention as the only Republican senator to vote to convict President Trump on an article of impeachment during both the first and second impeachment trials. He was a key negotiator on major legislation, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Personal life

Romney married Ann Davies in 1969; they have five sons: Tagg, Matt, Josh, Ben, and Craig. The family are devout members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Romney has served in various lay leadership positions, including as a bishop and a stake president in Belmont, Massachusetts. He and his wife maintain residences in Holladay, Utah, and Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoys hiking and horseback riding. His personal wealth, estimated in the hundreds of millions, has often been a topic of political discussion.

Electoral history

* 1994 United States Senate election in Massachusetts: Lost to Ted Kennedy (D) * 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial election: Defeated Shannon O'Brien (D) * 2008 Republican Party presidential primaries: Lost nomination to John McCain * 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries: Won nomination * 2012 United States presidential election: Lost to Barack Obama (D) * 2018 United States Senate election in Utah: Defeated Jenny Wilson (D)

Category:1947 births Category:American businesspeople Category:Governors of Massachusetts Category:Harvard Law School alumni Category:Living people Category:Members of the United States Senate from Utah Category:Republican Party United States senators