Mitt Romney . 
Mitt Romney
For his campaign , Romney assembled a veteran group of Republican staffers , consultants , and pollsters . 
-LSB- 230 -RSB- -LSB- 245 -RSB- These resources , combined with the mid-year near-collapse of nominal front-runner John McCain 's campaign , made Romney a threat to win the nomination and the focus of the other candidates ' attacks . 
-LSB- 246 -RSB- Romney 's staff suffered from internal strife ; the candidate himself was at times indecisive , often asking for more data before making a decision . 
During all of his political campaigns , Romney has avoided speaking publicly about Mormon doctrines , referring to the U.S. Constitution 's prohibition of religious tests for public office . 
-LSB- 248 -RSB- But persistent questions about the role of religion in Romney 's life , as well as Southern Baptist minister and former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee 's rise in the polls based upon an explicitly Christian-themed campaign , led to the December 6 , 2007 , "Faith in America" speech . 
-LSB- 249 -RSB- In the speech Romney declared , "I believe in my Mormon faith and endeavor to live by it . 
-LSB- 12 -RSB- Romney added that he should neither be elected nor rejected based upon his religion , -LSB- 250 -RSB- and echoed Senator John F. Kennedy 's famous speech during his 1960 presidential campaign in saying , "I will put no doctrine of any church above the plain duties of the office and the sovereign authority of the law ." 
Romney became a management consultant and in 1977 secured a position at Bain & Company . 
-LSB- 356 -RSB- -LSB- 357 -RSB- That initial debate overshadowed Obama 's improved presentation in the last two debates later in October , and Romney maintained a small advantage in the debates when seen as a whole . 
The campaign 's strategy called for winning the initial two contests -- the January 3 , 2008 , Iowa Republican caucuses and the adjacent-to-his-home-state January 8 New Hampshire primary -- and propelling Romney nationally . 
After stepping down from Bain Capital and his local leadership role in the LDS Church , Romney ran as the Republican candidate in the 1994 Massachusetts election for U.S. Senate . 
-LSB- 238 -RSB- -LSB- 256 -RSB- Romney seemed to approach the campaign as a management consulting exercise , and showed a lack of personal warmth and political feel ; journalist Evan Thomas wrote that Romney "came off as a phony , even when he was perfectly sincere ." 
-LSB- 238 -RSB- -LSB- 257 -RSB- The fervor with which Romney adopted his new stances and attitudes contributed to the perception of inauthenticity that hampered the campaign . 
-LSB- 62 -RSB- -LSB- 258 -RSB- Romney 's staff would conclude that competing as a candidate of social conservatism and ideological purity rather than of pragmatic competence had been a mistake . 
Elected Governor of Massachusetts in 2002 , Romney helped develop and then signed into law the Massachusetts health care reform legislation , the first of its kind in the nation . 
A win by McCain over Huckabee in South Carolina , and by Romney over McCain in childhood-home Michigan , set up a pivotal battle in the Florida primary . 
-LSB- 259 -RSB- -LSB- 260 -RSB- Romney campaigned intensively on economic issues and the burgeoning subprime mortgage crisis , while McCain attacked Romney regarding Iraq policy and benefited from endorsements from Florida officeholders . 
-LSB- 259 -RSB- -LSB- 260 -RSB- Although many Republican officials were now lining up behind McCain , -LSB- 260 -RSB- Romney persisted through the nationwide Super Tuesday contests on February 5 . 
Romney 's considerable net worth , estimated in 2012 at $ 190 -- 250 million , helped finance his political campaigns prior to 2012 . 
-LSB- 261 -RSB- Trailing McCain in delegates by a more than two-to-one margin , Romney announced the end of his campaign on February 7 . 
Romney was the Republican Party 's nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 election . 
Altogether , Romney had won 11 primaries and caucuses , -LSB- 262 -RSB- receiving about 4.7 million votes -LSB- 263 -RSB- and garnering about 280 delegates . 
Romney kept a low profile for a while after the election , but later became more visible politically . 
Romney endorsed McCain for president a week later , -LSB- 264 -RSB- and McCain had Romney on a short list for vice presidential running mate , where his business experience would have balanced one of McCain 's weaknesses . 
See also : Romney family . 
Romney supported the Bush administration 's Troubled Asset Relief Program in response to the late-2000s financial crisis , later saying that it prevented the U.S. financial system from collapsing . 
Following the 2008 election , Romney laid the groundwork for a likely 2012 presidential campaign by using his Free and Strong America political action committee -LRB- PAC -RRB- to raise money for other Republican candidates and pay his existing political staff 's salaries and consulting fees . 
-LSB- 281 -RSB- -LSB- 283 -RSB- In February 2010 , Romney had a minor altercation with LMFAO member Skyler Gordy , known as Sky Blu , on an airplane flight . 
Romney has three older siblings , Margo , Jane , and Scott . 
-LSB- 14 -RSB- Romney was referred to as "Billy" until kindergarten , when he expressed a preference for "Mitt" . 
Romney and Obama shaking hands . 
-LSB- 279 -RSB- Romney maintained his voting registration in Massachusetts , however , and bought a smaller condominium in Belmont during 2010 . 
Romney attended public elementary schools until the seventh grade , when he enrolled as one of only a few Mormon students at Cranbrook School , a private upscale boys ' preparatory school a few miles from his home . 
Casual photograph of Mitt Romney indoors seated and signing books . 
-LSB- 18 -RSB- -LSB- 22 -RSB- Romney took up residence at Cranbrook when his newly elected father began spending most of his time at the state capitol . 
-LSB- 287 -RSB- In the book , Romney writes of his belief in American exceptionalism , -LSB- 288 -RSB- and presents his economic and geopolitical views rather than anecdotes about his personal or political life . 
At Cranbrook , Romney helped manage the ice hockey team , and he joined the pep squad . 
Immediately following the March 2010 passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , Romney attacked the landmark legislation as "an unconscionable abuse of power" and said the act should be repealed . 
-LSB- 18 -RSB- -LSB- 20 -RSB- Romney was involved in several pranks while attending Cranbrook . 
-LSB- 291 -RSB- While acknowledging that his plan was an imperfect work in progress , Romney did not back away from it . 
In nationwide opinion polling for the 2012 Republican Presidential primaries , Romney led or placed in the top three with Palin and Huckabee . 
A January 2010 National Journal survey of political insiders found that a majority of Republican insiders and a plurality of Democratic insiders predicted Romney would be the party 's 2012 nominee . 
-LSB- 294 -RSB- Romney campaigned heavily for Republican candidates in the 2010 midterm elections , -LSB- 295 -RSB- raising more money than the other prospective 2012 Republican presidential candidates . 
Romney attended Stanford University during the 1965-66 academic year . 
-LSB- 18 -RSB- As opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War grew , a group staged a May 1966 sit-in at Stanford 's administration building to demonstrate against draft status tests ; Romney joined a counter-protest against that group . 
On June 2 , 2011 , Romney formally announced the start of his campaign . 
Main article : Mitt Romney presidential campaign , 2012 . 
Mitt Romney sitting outdoors during daytime , with crowd behind him holding up blue and white "Romney" signs . 
On April 11 , 2011 , Romney announced , via a video taped outdoors at the University of New Hampshire , that he had formed an exploratory committee for a run for the Republican presidential nomination . 
-LSB- 11 -RSB- Most individual Mormon missionaries do not gain many converts -LSB- nb 4 -RSB- and Romney was no exception : -LSB- 33 -RSB- he later estimated ten to twenty for his entire mission . 
Romney stood to benefit from the Republican electorate 's tendency to nominate candidates who had previously run for president , and thus appeared to be next in line to be chosen . 
-LSB- 40 -RSB- When the French expressed opposition to the U.S. role in the Vietnam War , Romney debated them . 
-LSB- 297 -RSB- -LSB- 299 -RSB- -LSB- 301 -RSB- As many potential Republican candidates with star power and fundraising ability decided not to run -LRB- including Mike Pence , John Thune , Haley Barbour , Mike Huckabee , and Mitch Daniels -RRB- , Republican party figures searched for plausible alternatives to Romney . 
-LSB- nb 6 -RSB- Romney then became co-president of a mission that had become demoralized and disorganized after the May 1968 general strike and student uprisings and the car accident . 
-LSB- 41 -RSB- With Romney rallying the others , the mission met its goal of 200 baptisms for the year , the most in a decade . 
-LSB- 33 -RSB- -LSB- 42 -RSB- As a result of his experience there , Romney developed a lifelong affection for France and its people and has also remained fluent in French . 
Romney raised $ 56 million during 2011 , more than double the amount raised by any of his Republican opponents , -LSB- 306 -RSB- and refrained from spending his own money on the campaign . 
At their first meeting following his return , Romney and Ann Davies reconnected and decided to get married . 
-LSB- 45 -RSB- Romney began attending Brigham Young University -LRB- BYU -RRB- , where she had been studying . 
-LSB- 309 -RSB- Perry and Romney exchanged sharp criticisms of each other during a series of debates among the Republican candidates . 
Romney continued to seek support from a wary Republican electorate ; at this point in the race , his poll numbers were relatively flat and at a historically low level for a Republican frontrunner . 
-LSB- 311 -RSB- -LSB- 315 -RSB- -LSB- 316 -RSB- After the charges of flip-flopping that marked his 2008 campaign began to accumulate again , Romney declared in November 2011 : "I 've been as consistent as human beings can be ." 
-LSB- 317 -RSB- -LSB- 318 -RSB- -LSB- 319 -RSB- In the final month before voting began , Newt Gingrich experienced a significant surge -- taking a solid lead in national polls and most of the early caucus and primary states -LSB- 320 -RSB- -- before settling back into parity or worse with Romney following a barrage of negative ads from Restore Our Future , a pro-Romney Super PAC . 
-LSB- 49 -RSB- During the U.S. military draft for the Vietnam War , Romney sought and received two 2-S student deferments , then a 4-D ministerial deferment while living in France as a Mormon missionary . 
In the initial contest , the 2012 Iowa caucuses of January 3 , election officials announced Romney as ahead with 25 percent of the vote , edging out a late-gaining Rick Santorum by eight votes -LRB- an also-strong Ron Paul finished third -RRB- . 
-LSB- 323 -RSB- A week after the Iowa caucuses , Romney earned a decisive win in the New Hampshire primary with a total of 39 percent of the vote ; Paul finished second and Jon Huntsman , Jr. third . 
At culturally conservative BYU , Romney remained isolated from much of the upheaval of that era . 
-LSB- 254 -RSB- Huckabee and McCain criticized Romney 's image as a flip flopper -LSB- 254 -RSB- and this label would stick to Romney through the campaign -LSB- 230 -RSB- -LRB- one that Romney rejected as unfair and inaccurate , except for his acknowledged change of mind on abortion -RRB- . 
In the run-up to the South Carolina Republican primary , Gingrich launched ads criticizing Romney for causing job losses while at Bain Capital , Perry referred to Romney 's role there as "vulture capitalism" , and Sarah Palin pressed Romney to prove his claim that he created 100,000 jobs during that time . 
-LSB- 325 -RSB- -LSB- 326 -RSB- Many conservatives rallied in defense of Romney , rejecting what they inferred as criticism of free-market capitalism . 
-LSB- 325 -RSB- During two debates in the state , Romney fumbled questions about releasing his income tax returns , while Gingrich gained support with audience-rousing attacks on the debate moderators . 
-LSB- 327 -RSB- -LSB- 328 -RSB- Romney 's double-digit lead in state polls evaporated ; he lost to Gingrich by 13 points in the January 21 primary . 
-LSB- 327 -RSB- Combined with the delayed loss in Iowa , Romney 's admitted poor week represented a lost chance to end the race early , and he quickly decided to release two years of his tax returns . 
-LSB- 327 -RSB- -LSB- 329 -RSB- The race turned to the Florida Republican primary , where in debates , appearances , and advertisements , Romney launched a sustained barrage against Gingrich 's past record and associations and current electability . 
Benjamin -LRB- 1978 -RRB- and Craig -LRB- 1981 -RRB- would arrive later , after Romney had begun his career . 
Mitt Romney wanted to pursue a business career , but his father advised him that a law degree would be valuable to his career even if he never practiced law . 
Several caucuses and primaries took place during February , and Santorum won three in a single night early in the month , propelling him into the lead in national and some state polls and positioning him as Romney 's chief rival . 
-LSB- 333 -RSB- Days later , Romney told the Conservative Political Action Conference that he had been a "severely conservative governor" -LSB- 334 -RSB- -LRB- while during his term in 2005 he had maintained that his positions were moderate and characterized reports that he was shifting to the right to attract conservative votes a media distortion -RRB- . 
-LSB- 335 -RSB- Romney won the other five February contests , including a closely fought one in his home state of Michigan at the end of the month . 
-LSB- 291 -RSB- The antipathy Republicans felt for it created a potential problem for the former governor , since the new federal law was in many ways similar to the Massachusetts health care reform passed during Romney 's gubernatorial tenure ; as one Associated Press article stated , "Obamacare ... looks a lot like Romneycare ." 
-LSB- 338 -RSB- Romney maintained his delegate margin through subsequent contests , -LSB- 339 -RSB- and Santorum suspended his campaign on April 10 . 
-LSB- 340 -RSB- Following a sweep of five more contests on April 24 , the Republican National Committee put its resources to work for Romney as the party 's presumptive nominee . 
-LSB- 341 -RSB- Romney clinched a majority of the delegates with a win in the Texas primary on May 29 . 
Main article : Business career of Mitt Romney . 
Recruited by several firms in 1975 , Romney joined the Boston Consulting Group -LRB- BCG -RRB- , reasoning that working as a management consultant for a variety of companies would better prepare him for a future position as a chief executive . 
-LSB- 343 -RSB- A related issue dealt with Romney 's purported responsibility for actions at Bain Capital after taking the Olympics post . 
-LSB- 98 -RSB- -LSB- 100 -RSB- Romney faced demands from Democrats to release additional years of his tax returns , an action a number of Republicans also felt would be wise ; after being adamant that he would not do that , he released summaries of them in late September . 
-LSB- 110 -RSB- -LSB- 344 -RSB- During May and June , the Obama campaign spent heavily and was able to paint a negative image of Romney in voters ' minds before the Romney campaign could construct a positive one . 
In July 2012 , Romney visited the United Kingdom , Israel , and Poland , meeting leaders in an effort to raise his credibility as a world statesman . 
-LSB- 56 -RSB- -LSB- 62 -RSB- -LSB- 65 -RSB- Bain himself would later say of the thirty-year-old Romney , "He had the appearance -LSB- sic -RSB- of confidence of a guy who was maybe ten years older ." 
-LSB- 347 -RSB- -LSB- 348 -RSB- Israeli Prime Minister -LRB- and former BCG colleague -RRB- Benjamin Netanyahu , embraced Romney , though some Palestinians criticized him for suggesting that Israel 's culture led to their greater economic success . 
-LSB- 56 -RSB- -LSB- 62 -RSB- Romney became a vice-president of the firm in 1978 , -LSB- 15 -RSB- working with such clients as the Monsanto Company , Outboard Marine Corporation , Burlington Industries , and Corning Incorporated . 
-LSB- 448 -RSB- In February 2017 , Romney stated that Trump is "off to a very strong start" in fulfilling his campaign promises , although he has "no regrets" about his anti-Trump speech . 
On August 11 , 2012 , the Romney campaign announced the selection of Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his vice-presidential running mate . 
On August 28 , 2012 , the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa , Florida , officially nominated Romney as their candidate for the presidency . 
-LSB- 351 -RSB- Romney became the first Mormon to be a major-party presidential nominee . 
Two family incidents during this time later surfaced during Romney 's political campaigns . 
-LSB- 68 -RSB- -LSB- 69 -RSB- A state park ranger in 1981 told Romney his motorboat had an insufficiently visible license number and that he would face a $ 50 fine if he took the boat onto the lake . 
Disagreeing about the license and wanting to continue a family outing , Romney took it out anyway , saying he would pay the fine . 
Romney went on to say : "And so my job is not to worry about those people . 
-LSB- 47 -RSB- The dog incident in particular later became fodder for Romney 's critics and political opponents . 
County-by-county results of the election , shaded by percentage won : Obama in blue , Romney in red . 
Media figures and political analysts widely viewed Romney as having delivered a stronger and more focused presentation than did President Obama . 
In 1984 , Romney left Bain & Company to cofound the spin-off private equity investment firm , Bain Capital . 
-LSB- 72 -RSB- He had initially refrained from accepting Bill Bain 's offer to head the new venture , until Bain rearranged the terms in a complicated partnership structure so that there was no financial or professional risk to Romney . 
-LSB- 56 -RSB- -LSB- 66 -RSB- -LSB- 73 -RSB- Bain and Romney raised the $ 37 million in funds needed to start the new operation , which had seven employees . 
-LSB- 59 -RSB- -LSB- 74 -RSB- Romney held the titles of president -LSB- 75 -RSB- and managing general partner . 
-LSB- 359 -RSB- Romney garnered 206 electoral college votes to Obama 's 332 , losing all but one of nine battleground states , and 47 percent of the nationwide popular vote to Obama 's 51 percent . 
-LSB- 360 -RSB- -LSB- 361 -RSB- Media accounts described Romney as "shellshocked" by the result . 
-LSB- 362 -RSB- But Romney 's get out the vote operation had been inferior to Obama 's , both in person-to-person organization and in voter modeling and outreach technology -LSB- 363 -RSB- -LRB- the latter exemplified by the failure of the Project Orca application -RRB- . 
Romney set up a system in which any partner could veto one of these potential opportunities , and he personally saw so many weaknesses that few venture capital investments were approved in the initial two years . 
-LSB- 56 -RSB- The firm 's first significant success was a 1986 investment to help start Staples Inc. , after founder Thomas G. Stemberg convinced Romney of the market size for office supplies and Romney convinced others ; Bain Capital eventually reaped a nearly sevenfold return on its investment , and Romney sat on the Staples board of directors for over a decade . 
-LSB- 364 -RSB- Reflecting on his defeat during a conference call to hundreds of fundraisers and donors a week after the election , Romney attributed the outcome to Obama 's having secured the votes of specific interest groups , including African Americans , Hispanic Americans , young people , and women , by offering them what Romney called "extraordinary financial gifts ." 
Romney soon switched Bain Capital 's focus from startups to the relatively new business of leveraged buyouts : buying existing companies with money mostly borrowed from banking institutions using the newly bought companies ' assets as collateral , then taking steps to improve the companies ' value , and finally selling those companies once their value peaked , usually within a few years . 
See also : Issues and positions throughout Romney 's political career . 
Romney discovered few investment opportunities himself -LRB- and those that he did , often failed to make money for the firm -RRB- . 
Romney meeting with President Obama after the 2012 presidential election . 
-LSB- 84 -RSB- Within Bain Capital , Romney spread profits from deals widely within the firm to keep people motivated , often keeping less than ten percent for himself . 
-LSB- 85 -RSB- Data-driven , Romney often played the role of a devil 's advocate during exhaustive analysis of whether to go forward with a deal . 
-LSB- 56 -RSB- Romney served on the board of directors of Damon Corporation , a medical testing company later found guilty of defrauding the government ; Bain Capital tripled its investment before selling off the company , and the fraud was discovered by the new owners -LRB- Romney was never implicated -RRB- . 
-LSB- 56 -RSB- In some cases , Romney had little involvement with a company once Bain Capital acquired it . 
Romney pledged to lead an effort to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -LRB- "Obamacare" -RRB- and replace it with a system that gives states more control over Medicaid and makes health insurance premiums tax-advantaged for individuals in the same way they are for businesses . 
-LSB- 429 -RSB- Romney publicly criticized Trump for not releasing his taxes , saying there might be a "bombshell" in them . 
-LSB- 86 -RSB- Referring to the layoffs that sometimes occurred , Romney said in 2007 : "Sometimes the medicine is a little bitter but it is necessary to save the life of the patient . 
Romney opposed the use of mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions to deal with global warming . 
In 1990 , facing financial collapse , Bain & Company asked Romney to return . 
Romney labeled Russia as America 's "number one geopolitical foe" , -LSB- 384 -RSB- and asserted that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear capability should be America 's "highest national security priority" . 
-LSB- 385 -RSB- Romney stated his strong support for Israel . 
In addition to calling for cuts in federal government spending to help reduce the national debt , -LSB- 370 -RSB- Romney proposed measures intended to limit the growth of entitlement programs , such as introducing means testing and gradually raising the eligibility ages for receipt of Social Security and Medicare . 
-LSB- 387 -RSB- Romney supported the Patriot Act , -LSB- 388 -RSB- the continued operation of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp , and use of enhanced interrogation techniques against suspected terrorists . 
Romney took a leave of absence from Bain Capital from November 1993 to November 1994 to run for the U.S. Senate . 
-LSB- 47 -RSB- -LSB- 93 -RSB- During that time , Ampad workers went on strike and asked Romney to intervene . 
Against the advice of Bain Capital lawyers , Romney met the strikers , but told them he had no position of active authority in the matter . 
Since 2005 , Romney described himself as "pro-life" . 
-LSB- 392 -RSB- -LSB- nb 10 -RSB- -LSB- nb 14 -RSB- During his 1994 campaign for the senate , Romney had said , "I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country ," a stance he reiterated during his 2002 campaign for governor . 
-LSB- 137 -RSB- -LSB- 395 -RSB- While Romney would prefer to see passage of a constitutional amendment that would outlaw abortion , he did not believe the public would support such an amendment ; -LSB- 396 -RSB- as an alternative , he promised to nominate Supreme Court justices who would help overturn Roe v. Wade , allowing each state to decide on the legality of abortion . 
Starting in February 1999 , Romney took a paid leave of absence from Bain Capital in order to serve as the president and CEO of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games Organizing Committee . 
-LSB- 97 -RSB- -LSB- 98 -RSB- Billed in some public statements as keeping a part-time role , -LSB- 97 -RSB- -LSB- 99 -RSB- Romney remained the firm 's sole shareholder , managing director , CEO , and president , signing corporate and legal documents , attending to his interests within the firm , and conducting prolonged negotiations for the terms of his departure . 
In August 2001 , Romney announced that he would not return to Bain Capital . 
During the first year following the election defeat , Romney generally kept a low profile , -LSB- 401 -RSB- with his ordinary daily activities around San Diego being captured via social media glimpses . 
-LSB- 403 -RSB- In March 2013 , Romney gave a reflective interview on Fox News Sunday , stating , "It kills me not to be there , not to be in the White House doing what needs to be done" . 
-LSB- 406 -RSB- -RRB- Romney began working as executive partner group chairman for Solamere Capital , a private capital firm in Boston owned by his son Tagg . 
As a result of his business career , Romney and his wife had a net worth of between $ 190 and $ 250 million , -LSB- 2 -RSB- -LSB- 103 -RSB- including their retirement account , worth between $ 20 and $ 100 million . 
-LSB- 107 -RSB- -LSB- 108 -RSB- In 2010 , Romney and his wife received about $ 22 million in income , almost all of it from investments such as dividends , capital gains , and carried interest ; and they paid about $ 3 million in federal income taxes , for an effective tax rate of 14 percent . 
-LSB- 407 -RSB- -LSB- 410 -RSB- In addition , Romney and his siblings continue to own a cottage in the gated community called Beach O ' Pines located south of Grand Bend , Ontario , which has been in the family for more than sixty years . 
Romney has tithed to the LDS Church regularly , and donated generously to LDS Church-owned BYU . 
-LSB- 409 -RSB- The 2014 documentary film Mitt showed a behind-the-scenes , family-based perspective on both of Romney 's presidential campaigns and received positive notices for humanizing the candidate and illustrating the toll that campaigning takes . 
-LSB- 109 -RSB- The Romney family 's Tyler Charitable Foundation gave out about $ 650,000 in that year , some of which went to organizations that fight diseases . 
-LSB- 342 -RSB- Negative ads from both sides dominated the campaign , with Obama 's proclaiming that Romney shipped jobs overseas while at Bain Capital and kept money in offshore tax havens and Swiss bank accounts . 
Romney himself thought he might be branded a "loser for life" and fade into an obscurity like Michael Dukakis -LSB- 406 -RSB- -LRB- a similar figure with no obvious base of political support who had lost what his party considered a winnable presidential election -RRB- -LSB- 414 -RSB- but , to the surprise of many political observers , that did not happen . 
-LSB- 415 -RSB- Romney re-emerged onto the political scene in the run-up to the 2014 U.S. midterm elections , endorsing , campaigning , and fundraising for a number of Republican candidates , especially those running for the U.S. Senate . 
During his business career , Romney held several positions in the local lay clergy . 
-LSB- 330 -RSB- -LSB- 331 -RSB- Romney enjoyed a large spending advantage from both his campaign and his aligned Super PAC , and after a record-breaking rate of negative ads from both sides , Romney won Florida on January 31 , gaining 46 percent of the vote to Gingrich 's 32 percent . 
-LSB- 413 -RSB- Regarding such a possibility , Romney at first responded , "Oh , no , no , no . 
From 1986 to 1994 , Romney presided over the Boston Stake , which included more than a dozen wards in eastern Massachusetts and almost 4,000 church members . 
-LSB- 419 -RSB- A poll conducted in July 2014 by CNN showed Romney with a 53 to 44 lead over Obama in a hypothetical election "redo ." 
-LSB- 420 -RSB- -LSB- 421 -RSB- By early 2015 , Romney was actively considering the idea and contacting his network of supporters . 
-LSB- 422 -RSB- -LSB- 423 -RSB- In doing so he was positioning himself in the invisible primary -- the preliminary jockeying for the backing of party leaders , donors , and political operatives -- against former Florida governor Jeb Bush , who had already set a likely campaign in motion and would be a rival to Romney for establishment Republican support . 
-LSB- 423 -RSB- -LSB- 424 -RSB- Despite support in some quarters for a third bid for the presidency , there was a backlash against him from conservatives who wanted a fresher face without a history of presidential losses , -LSB- 425 -RSB- and many of Romney 's past donors were not willing to commit to him again . 
-LSB- 426 -RSB- Romney announced on January 30 , 2015 that he would not run for president in 2016 , saying that while he thought he could win the nomination , "one of our next generation of Republican leaders" would be better positioned to win the general election . 
Romney took a hands-on role in the Belmont Stake 's matters , helping in domestic maintenance efforts , visiting the sick , and counseling burdened church members . 
As the Republican presidential nomination race went into the primaries season , Romney had not endorsed anyone but was one of the Republican establishment figures who were becoming increasingly concerned about the front-runner status of New York businessman Donald Trump . 
-LSB- 115 -RSB- Romney tried to balance the conservative directives from church leadership in Utah with the desire of some Massachusetts members to have a more flexible application of religious doctrine . 
-LSB- 430 -RSB- Trump responded by calling Romney "one of the dumbest and worst candidates in the history of Republican politics ." 
-LSB- 429 -RSB- Then Romney gave a speech on March 3 , 2016 , at the Hinckley Institute of Politics , that represented a scathing attack on Trump 's personal behavior , business performance , and domestic and foreign policy stances . 
-LSB- 67 -RSB- Romney later said that the years spent as an LDS minister gave him direct exposure to people struggling financially and empathy for those with family problems . 
-LSB- 431 -RSB- -LSB- 432 -RSB- In response Trump dismissed Romney as a "choke artist" . 
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan seen in medium distance on an outdoor stage , with large crowd around them . 
-LSB- 432 -RSB- -LSB- 433 -RSB- -LSB- 434 -RSB- Romney encouraged Republicans to engage in tactical voting , by supporting whichever of the remaining rivals had the best chance to beat Trump in any given state , -LSB- 435 -RSB- and as such Romney announced he was voting for , although not endorsing , Ted Cruz for president prior to the March 22 Utah caucus . 
Romney then announced that he would not support Trump in the general election , saying , "I am dismayed at where we are now , I wish we had better choices" . 
-LSB- 432 -RSB- Romney 's speech represented an unprecedented attack by a major U.S. party 's most recent presidential nominee against the party 's current front-runner for the nomination . 
For much of his business career , Romney did not take public , political stances . 
In June , Romney said that he would not vote for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton either , saying : "It 's a matter of personal conscience . 
-LSB- 440 -RSB- When pressed on who of Trump and Clinton was more qualified to be President , Romney quoted P. J. O'Rourke : "Hillary Clinton is wrong on every issue , but she 's wrong within the normal parameters ." 
By 1993 , Romney had begun thinking about entering politics , partly based upon Ann 's urging and partly to follow in his father 's footsteps . 
-LSB- 441 -RSB- In September he called for Johnson to be included in the presidential debates -LSB- 442 -RSB- and in October it emerged that Independent candidate Evan McMullin was using an email list of 2.5 million Romney supporters to raise money . 
-LSB- 443 -RSB- McMullin 's chief strategist said that it was purchased from Romney for President and that "we 'll let other folks discuss what that may mean and certainly never speak for -LSB- Romney -RSB-" . 
-LSB- 123 -RSB- -LSB- 124 -RSB- -LSB- 125 -RSB- Romney changed his affiliation to Republican in October 1993 and formally announced his candidacy in February 1994 . 
-LSB- 47 -RSB- In addition to his leave from Bain Capital , Romney als stepped down from his church leadership role in 1994 . 
-LSB- 444 -RSB- After Trump won the election , Romney congratulated him via phone call and on Twitter . 
-LSB- 445 -RSB- On November 19 , Romney met with the President-elect at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster , New Jersey , reportedly to discuss the position of Secretary of State , -LSB- 446 -RSB- -LSB- 447 -RSB- a position which ultimately went to Rex Tillerson . 
Radio personality Janet Jeghelian took an early lead in polls among candidates for the Republican nomination for the Senate seat , but Romney proved the most effective fundraiser . 
-LSB- 128 -RSB- Romney defeated Lakian in the September 1994 primary with more than 80 percent of the vote . 
In September 2017 press reports said that should U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch retire , Romney would run in Utah for that seat in 2018 . 
-LSB- 123 -RSB- The younger , telegenic , and well-funded Romney ran as a businessman who stated he had created ten thousand jobs and as a Washington outsider with a solid family image and moderate stances on social issues . 
-LSB- 123 -RSB- -LSB- 130 -RSB- When Kennedy tried to tie Romney 's policies to those of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush , Romney responded , "Look , I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush . 
-LSB- 131 -RSB- Romney stated , "Ultimately , this is a campaign about change ." 
Romney has received a number of honorary doctorates , including in business from the University of Utah in 1999 , -LSB- 451 -RSB- in law from Bentley College in 2002 , -LSB- 452 -RSB- in public administration from Suffolk University Law School in 2004 , -LSB- 453 -RSB- in public service from Hillsdale College in 2007 , -LSB- 454 -RSB- and in humanities from Liberty University in 2012 . 
Romney 's campaign was effective in portraying Kennedy as soft on crime , but had trouble establishing its own consistent positions . 
-LSB- 336 -RSB- -LSB- 337 -RSB- In the Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses of March 6 , Romney won six of ten contests , including a narrow victory in Ohio over a vastly outspent Santorum . 
-LSB- 123 -RSB- -LSB- 134 -RSB- -LSB- 135 -RSB- Kennedy responded with a series of ads that focused on Romney 's seemingly shifting political views on issues such as abortion ; -LSB- 136 -RSB- Romney responded by stating , "I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country ." 
-LSB- 137 -RSB- Other Kennedy ads centered on layoffs of workers at the Ampad plant owned by Romney 's Bain Capital . 
-LSB- 123 -RSB- -LSB- 138 -RSB- The latter was effective in blunting Romney 's momentum . 
-LSB- 81 -RSB- Kennedy and Romney held a widely watched late-October debate that had no clear winner , but by then , Kennedy had pulled ahead in polls and stayed ahead afterward . 
-LSB- 139 -RSB- Romney spent $ 3 million of his own money in the race and more than $ 7 million overall . 
-LSB- 140 -RSB- -LSB- nb 11 -RSB- In the November general election , despite a disastrous showing for Democrats nationwide , Kennedy won the election with 58 percent of the vote to Romney 's 41 percent , -LSB- 56 -RSB- the smallest margin in any of Kennedy 's re-election campaigns for the Senate . 
The day after the election , Romney returned to Bain Capital , but the loss had a lasting effect ; he told his brother , "I never want to run for something again unless I can win ." 
Romney felt restless as the decade neared a close ; the goal of simply making more money held little attraction for him . 
-LSB- 462 -RSB- In 2012 , Time magazine included Romney in their List of The 100 Most Influential People in the World . 
-LSB- 144 -RSB- -LSB- 146 -RSB- -LSB- 147 -RSB- On February 11 , 1999 , the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games of 2002 hired Romney as its president and CEO . 
Photograph of Romney standing with microphone in middle of curling lanes . 
Before Romney took over , the event was $ 379 million short of its revenue goals . 
They chose Romney based on his business and legal expertise as well as his connections to both the LDS Church and the state . 
-LSB- 39 -RSB- Romney donated to charity the $ 1.4 million in salary and severance payments he received for his three years as president and CEO , and also contributed $ 1 million to the Olympics . 
Romney restructured the organization 's leadership and policies . 
Romney said that he would appoint federal judges in the mold of U.S. Supreme Court justices John Roberts , Clarence Thomas , Antonin Scalia , and Samuel Alito . 
-LSB- 144 -RSB- -LSB- 147 -RSB- Romney worked to ensure the safety of the Games following the September 11 , 2001 terrorist attacks by coordinating a $ 300 million security budget . 
-LSB- 148 -RSB- The federal government provided approximately $ 400 million -LSB- 147 -RSB- -LSB- 153 -RSB- -LSB- 154 -RSB- to $ 600 million -LSB- 155 -RSB- -LSB- 156 -RSB- of that budget , much of it a result of Romney 's having aggressively lobbied Congress and federal agencies . 
Romney emerged as the local public face of the Olympic effort , appearing in photographs , in news stories , on collectible Olympics pins depicting Romney wrapped by an American flag , and on buttons carrying phrases like "Hey , Mitt , we love you !" 
-LSB- 144 -RSB- -LSB- 147 -RSB- -LSB- 159 -RSB- Robert H. Garff , the chair of the organizing committee , later said "It was obvious that he had an agenda larger than just the Olympics ," -LSB- 144 -RSB- and that Romney wanted to use the Olympics to propel himself into the national spotlight and a political career . 
-LSB- 147 -RSB- -LSB- 160 -RSB- Garff believed the initial budget situation was not as bad as Romney portrayed , given there were still three years to reorganize . 
-LSB- 147 -RSB- Olympics critic Steve Pace , who led Utahns for Responsible Public Spending , thought Romney exaggerated the initial fiscal state to lay the groundwork for a well-publicized rescue . 
-LSB- 160 -RSB- Kenneth Bullock , another board member of the organizing committee and also head of the Utah League of Cities and Towns , often clashed with Romney at the time , and later said that Romney deserved some credit for the turnaround but not as much as he claimed . 
By early 2014 , the lack of a clear mainstream Republican candidate for the 2016 presidential election led some supporters , donors , and pollsters to suggest Romney stage a third run . 
-LSB- 161 -RSB- President George W. Bush praised Romney 's efforts and 87 percent of Utahns approved of his performance as Olympics head . 
-LSB- 62 -RSB- U.S. Olympic Committee head William Hybl credited Romney with an extraordinary effort in overcoming a difficult time for the Olympics , culminating in "the greatest Winter Games I have ever seen" . 
-LSB- 147 -RSB- Romney wrote a book about his experience titled Turnaround : Crisis , Leadership , and the Olympic Games , published in 2004 . 
The role gave Romney experience in dealing with federal , state , and local entities , a public persona he had previously lacked , and the chance to relaunch his political aspirations . 
-LSB- 296 -RSB- Beginning in early 2011 , Romney presented a more relaxed visual image , including more casual attire . 
-LSB- 162 -RSB- -LSB- 165 -RSB- Prominent party figures -- as well as the White House -- wanted Romney to run for governor -LSB- 166 -RSB- -LSB- 167 -RSB- and the opportunity appealed to him for reasons including its national visibility . 
-LSB- 168 -RSB- A poll by the Boston Herald showed Republicans favoring Romney over Swift by more than 50 percentage points . 
-LSB- 169 -RSB- On March 19 , 2002 , Swift announced she would not seek her party 's nomination , and hours later Romney declared his candidacy , -LSB- 169 -RSB- for which he would face no opposition in the primary . 
-LSB- 170 -RSB- In June 2002 , the Massachusetts Democratic Party challenged Romney 's eligibility to run for governor , noting that state law required seven years ' consecutive residence and that Romney had filed his state tax returns as a Utah resident in 1999 and 2000 . 
Romney again ran as a political outsider . 
-LSB- 413 -RSB- Nevertheless , speculation continued : the continuing unpopularity of Obama led to buyer 's remorse among some voters ; the 2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine made Romney 's "No. 1 geopolitical foe" remark look prescient ; and an August 2014 poll of Iowan Republicans showed Romney with a large lead there over other potential 2016 candidates . 
Romney released his book , No Apology : The Case for American Greatness , in March 2010 , and undertook an 18-state book tour to promote the work . 
In an attempt to overcome the image that had damaged him in the 1994 Senate race -- that of a wealthy corporate buyout specialist out of touch with the needs of regular people -- the campaign staged a series of "work days" , in which Romney performed blue-collar jobs such as herding cows and baling hay , unloading a fishing boat , and hauling garbage . 
-LSB- 346 -RSB- Comments Romney made about the readiness of the 2012 Summer Olympics were perceived as undiplomatic by the British press . 
-LSB- 180 -RSB- O'Brien said that Romney 's budget plans were unrealistic ; the two also differed on capital punishment and bilingual education , with Romney supporting the former and opposing the latter . 
-LSB- 356 -RSB- Exit polls published following the election showed that voters never saw Romney as someone who cared about people like them . 
During the election , Romney contributed more than $ 6 million -- a state record at the time -- to the nearly $ 10 million raised for his campaign overall . 
Main article : Governorship of Mitt Romney . 
The swearing in of Romney as the 70th governor of Massachusetts took place on January 2 , 2003 . 
-LSB- 290 -RSB- Romney donated his earnings from the book to charity . 
-LSB- 189 -RSB- -LSB- 190 -RSB- Through a combination of spending cuts , increased fees , and removal of corporate tax loopholes , -LSB- 189 -RSB- the state achieved surpluses of around $ 600 -- 700 million during Romney 's last two full fiscal years in office , although it began running deficits again after that . 
Mitt Romney resting on a wooden desk , flanked by an American flag , a picture of his wife , a lamp , and a painting of mountains . 
Romney supported raising various fees , including those for drivers ' licenses and gun licenses , to raise more than $ 300 million . 
-LSB- 189 -RSB- Romney also closed tax loopholes that brought in another $ 181 million from businesses over the next two years and over $ 300 million for his term . 
-LSB- 388 -RSB- Romney opposed same-sex marriage and civil unions , although he favored domestic partnership legislation that gives certain legal rights to same-sex couples , such as hospital visitation . 
-LSB- 174 -RSB- -LSB- 189 -RSB- Romney sought additional cuts in his last year as governor by vetoing nearly 250 items in the state budget ; a heavily Democratic legislature overrode all the vetoes . 
-LSB- 174 -RSB- -LSB- 189 -RSB- The combined state and local tax burden in Massachusetts increased during Romney 's governorship . 
Romney sought to bring near-universal health insurance coverage to the state . 
-LSB- 176 -RSB- -LSB- 201 -RSB- Although the idea of universal health insurance had not come to the fore during the campaign , Romney decided that because people without insurance still received expensive health care , the money spent by the state for such care could be better used to subsidize insurance for the poor . 
Determined that a new Massachusetts health insurance measure not raise taxes or resemble the previous decade 's failed "Hillarycare" proposal at the federal level , Romney formed a team of consultants from diverse political backgrounds to apply those principles . 
-LSB- 176 -RSB- -LSB- 187 -RSB- -LSB- 201 -RSB- In particular , Romney pushed for incorporating an individual mandate at the state level . 
-LSB- 21 -RSB- Past rival Ted Kennedy , who had made universal health coverage his life 's work and who , over time , had developed a warm relationship with Romney , -LSB- 202 -RSB- gave the plan a positive reception , which encouraged Democratic legislators to cooperate . 
-LSB- 176 -RSB- -LSB- 201 -RSB- The effort eventually gained the support of all major stakeholders within the state , and Romney helped break a logjam between rival Democratic leaders in the legislature . 
-LSB- 206 -RSB- The law was the first of its kind in the nation and became the signature achievement of Romney 's term in office . 
At the beginning of his governorship , Romney opposed same-sex marriage and civil unions , but advocated tolerance and supported some domestic partnership benefits . 
-LSB- 210 -RSB- Romney reluctantly backed a state constitutional amendment in February 2004 that would have banned those marriages but still allowed civil unions , viewing it as the only feasible way to accomplish the former . 
-LSB- 208 -RSB- -LSB- 211 -RSB- In June 2005 , Romney abandoned his support for the compromise amendment , stating that it confused voters who opposed both same-sex marriage and civil unions . 
In mid-September , a video surfaced of Romney speaking before a group of supporters in which he stated that 47 percent of the nation pays no income tax , are dependent on the federal government , see themselves as victims , and will support President Obama unconditionally . 
In 2005 , Romney revealed a change of view regarding abortion , moving from the pro-choice positions expressed during his 1994 and 2002 campaigns to a pro-life one in opposition to Roe v. Wade . 
-LSB- 176 -RSB- Romney attributed his conversion to an interaction with Harvard University biologist Douglas Melton , an expert on embryonic stem cell biology , although Melton vehemently disputed Romney 's recollection of their conversation . 
-LSB- 214 -RSB- Romney subsequently vetoed a bill on pro-life grounds that expanded access to emergency contraception in hospitals and pharmacies -LRB- the legislature overrode the veto -RRB- . 
Romney used a bully pulpit approach towards promoting his agenda , staging well-organized media events to appeal directly to the public rather than pushing his proposals in behind-doors sessions with the state legislature . 
-LSB- 176 -RSB- After two years of negotiating the state 's participation in the landmark Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative that instituted a cap-and-trade arrangement for power plant emissions in the Northeast , Romney pulled Massachusetts out of the initiative shortly before its signing in December 2005 , citing a lack of cost limits for industry . 
During 2004 , Romney spent considerable effort trying to bolster the state Republican Party , but it failed to gain any seats in the state legislative elections that year . 
-LSB- 218 -RSB- Midway through his term , Romney decided that he wanted to stage a full-time run for president , -LSB- 219 -RSB- and on December 14 , 2005 , announced that he would not seek re-election for a second term . 
-LSB- 220 -RSB- As chair of the Republican Governors Association , Romney traveled around the country , meeting prominent Republicans and building a national political network ; -LSB- 219 -RSB- he spent all , or parts of , more than 200 days out of state during 2006 , preparing for his run . 
-LSB- 443 -RSB- A spokeswoman for Romney said that the list had been "rented by several political candidates in the presidential primary , and by countless other political and commercial users in the time since the 2012 campaign" -LSB- 443 -RSB- and Romney made no public comment on McMullin 's candidacy . 
-LSB- 222 -RSB- -LSB- 223 -RSB- Romney 's approval rating stood at 34 percent in November 2006 , ranking 48th of the 50 U.S. governors . 
-LSB- 224 -RSB- Dissatisfaction with Romney 's administration and the weak condition of the Republican state party were among several factors contributing to Democrat Deval Patrick 's 20-point win over Republican Kerry Healey , Romney 's lieutenant governor , in the 2006 Massachusetts gubernatorial election . 
Romney filed to register a presidential campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission on his penultimate day in office as governor . 
Main article : Mitt Romney presidential campaign , 2008 . 
Romney formally announced his candidacy for the 2008 Republican nomination for president on February 13 , 2007 , in Dearborn , Michigan . 
Mitt Romney addressing an audience from atop a stage . 
The campaign emphasized Romney 's highly profitable career in the business world and his stewardship of the Olympics . 
-LSB- 238 -RSB- Media stories referred to the 6-foot-2-inch -LRB- 1.88 m -RRB- Romney as handsome . 
Romney 's liabilities included having run for senator and serving as governor in one of the nation 's most liberal states and having taken positions in opposition to the party 's conservative base during that time . 
People magazine included Romney in its 50 Most Beautiful People list for 2002 , -LSB- 460 -RSB- and in 2004 , a foundation that promotes the Olympic truce , gave him its inaugural Truce Ideal Award . 
-LSB- 219 -RSB- -LSB- 230 -RSB- -LSB- 237 -RSB- Skeptics , including some Republicans , charged Romney with opportunism and a lack of core principles . 
-LSB- 444 -RSB- Romney and his wife cast early ballots in Utah , but he declined to say who he voted for .
For his campaign , [TGT] assembled a veteran group of Republican staffers , consultants , and pollsters . 
-LSB- 230 -RSB- -LSB- 245 -RSB- These resources , combined with the mid-year near-collapse of nominal front-runner John McCain 's campaign , made [TGT] a threat to win the nomination and the focus of the other candidates ' attacks . 
-LSB- 246 [TGT] 's staff suffered from internal strife ; the candidate himself was at times indecisive , often asking for more data before making a decision . 
During all of his political campaigns , [TGT] has avoided speaking publicly about Mormon doctrines , referring to the U.S. Constitution 's prohibition of religious tests for public office . 
-LSB- 248 -RSB- But persistent questions about the role of religion in [TGT] 's life , as well as Southern Baptist minister and former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee 's rise in the polls based upon an explicitly Christian-themed campaign , led to the December 6 , 2007 , "Faith in America" speech . 
-LSB- 249 -RSB- In the speech [TGT] declared , "I believe in my Mormon faith and endeavor to live by it . 
-LSB- 12 [TGT] added that [TGT] should neither be elected nor rejected based upon [TGT] religion , -LSB- 250 -RSB- and echoed Senator John F. Kennedy 's famous speech during [TGT] 1960 presidential campaign in saying , "I will put no doctrine of any church above the plain duties of the office and the sovereign authority of the law ." 
[TGT] became a management consultant and in 1977 secured a position at Bain & Company . 
-LSB- 356 -RSB- -LSB- 357 -RSB- That initial debate overshadowed Obama 's improved presentation in the last two debates later in October , and [TGT] maintained a small advantage in the debates when seen as a whole . 
The campaign 's strategy called for winning the initial two contests -- the January 3 , 2008 , Iowa Republican caucuses and the adjacent-to-his-home-state January 8 New Hampshire primary -- and propelling [TGT] nationally . 
After stepping down from Bain Capital and [TGT] local leadership role in the LDS Church , [TGT] ran as the Republican candidate in the 1994 Massachusetts election for U.S. Senate . 
-LSB- 238 -RSB- -LSB- 256 [TGT] seemed to approach the campaign as a management consulting exercise , and showed a lack of personal warmth and political feel ; journalist Evan Thomas wrote that [TGT] "came off as a phony , even when [TGT] was perfectly sincere ." 
-LSB- 238 -RSB- -LSB- 257 -RSB- The fervor with which [TGT] adopted [TGT] new stances and attitudes contributed to the perception of inauthenticity that hampered the campaign . 
-LSB- 62 -RSB- -LSB- 258 [TGT] 's staff would conclude that competing as a candidate of social conservatism and ideological purity rather than of pragmatic competence had been a mistake . 
Elected Governor of Massachusetts in 2002 , [TGT] helped develop and then signed into law the Massachusetts health care reform legislation , the first of [TGT] kind in the nation . 
A win by McCain over Huckabee in South Carolina , and by [TGT] over McCain in childhood-home Michigan , set up a pivotal battle in the Florida primary . 
-LSB- 259 -RSB- -LSB- 260 [TGT] campaigned intensively on economic issues and the burgeoning subprime mortgage crisis , while McCain attacked [TGT] regarding Iraq policy and benefited from endorsements from Florida officeholders . 
-LSB- 259 -RSB- -LSB- 260 -RSB- Although many Republican officials were now lining up behind McCain , -LSB- 260 [TGT] persisted through the nationwide Super Tuesday contests on February 5 . 
[TGT] 's considerable net worth , estimated in 2012 at $ 190 -- 250 million , helped finance [TGT] political campaigns prior to 2012 . 
-LSB- 261 -RSB- Trailing McCain in delegates by a more than two-to-one margin , [TGT] announced the end of [TGT] campaign on February 7 . 
[TGT] was the Republican Party 's nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 election . 
Altogether , [TGT] had won 11 primaries and caucuses , -LSB- 262 -RSB- receiving about 4.7 million votes -LSB- 263 -RSB- and garnering about 280 delegates . 
[TGT] kept a low profile for a while after the election , but later became more visible politically . 
[TGT] endorsed McCain for president a week later , -LSB- 264 -RSB- and McCain had [TGT] on a short list for vice presidential running mate , where [TGT] business experience would have balanced one of McCain 's weaknesses . 
See also : [TGT] family . 
[TGT] supported the Bush administration 's Troubled Asset Relief Program in response to the late-2000s financial crisis , later saying that it prevented the U.S. financial system from collapsing . 
Following the 2008 election , [TGT] laid the groundwork for a likely 2012 presidential campaign by using [TGT] Free and Strong America political action committee -LRB- PAC -RRB- to raise money for other Republican candidates and pay [TGT] existing political staff 's salaries and consulting fees . 
-LSB- 281 -RSB- -LSB- 283 -RSB- In February 2010 , [TGT] had a minor altercation with LMFAO member Skyler Gordy , known as Sky Blu , on an airplane flight . 
[TGT] has three older siblings , Margo , Jane , and Scott . 
-LSB- 14 [TGT] was referred to as "Billy" until kindergarten , when [TGT] expressed a preference for "Mitt" . 
[TGT] and Obama shaking hands . 
-LSB- 279 [TGT] maintained [TGT] voting registration in Massachusetts , however , and bought a smaller condominium in Belmont during 2010 . 
[TGT] attended public elementary schools until the seventh grade , when [TGT] enrolled as one of only a few Mormon students at Cranbrook School , a private upscale boys ' preparatory school a few miles from [TGT] home . 
Casual photograph of [TGT] indoors seated and signing books . 
-LSB- 18 -RSB- -LSB- 22 [TGT] took up residence at Cranbrook when [TGT] newly elected father began spending most of [TGT] time at the state capitol . 
-LSB- 287 -RSB- In the book , [TGT] writes of [TGT] belief in American exceptionalism , -LSB- 288 -RSB- and presents [TGT] economic and geopolitical views rather than anecdotes about [TGT] personal or political life . 
At Cranbrook , [TGT] helped manage the ice hockey team , and [TGT] joined the pep squad . 
Immediately following the March 2010 passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , [TGT] attacked the landmark legislation as "an unconscionable abuse of power" and said the act should be repealed . 
-LSB- 18 -RSB- -LSB- 20 [TGT] was involved in several pranks while attending Cranbrook . 
-LSB- 291 -RSB- While acknowledging that [TGT] plan was an imperfect work in progress , [TGT] did not back away from it . 
In nationwide opinion polling for the 2012 Republican Presidential primaries , [TGT] led or placed in the top three with Palin and Huckabee . 
A January 2010 National Journal survey of political insiders found that a majority of Republican insiders and a plurality of Democratic insiders predicted [TGT] would be the party 's 2012 nominee . 
-LSB- 294 [TGT] campaigned heavily for Republican candidates in the 2010 midterm elections , -LSB- 295 -RSB- raising more money than the other prospective 2012 Republican presidential candidates . 
[TGT] attended Stanford University during the 1965-66 academic year . 
-LSB- 18 -RSB- As opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War grew , a group staged a May 1966 sit-in at Stanford 's administration building to demonstrate against draft status tests ; [TGT] joined a counter-protest against that group . 
On June 2 , 2011 , [TGT] formally announced the start of [TGT] campaign . 
Main article : [TGT] presidential campaign , 2012 . 
[TGT] sitting outdoors during daytime , with crowd behind [TGT] holding up blue and white "[TGT]" signs . 
On April 11 , 2011 , [TGT] announced , via a video taped outdoors at the University of New Hampshire , that [TGT] had formed an exploratory committee for a run for the Republican presidential nomination . 
-LSB- 11 -RSB- Most individual Mormon missionaries do not gain many converts -LSB- nb 4 -RSB- and [TGT] was no exception : -LSB- 33 -RSB- [TGT] later estimated ten to twenty for [TGT] entire mission . 
[TGT] stood to benefit from the Republican electorate 's tendency to nominate candidates who had previously run for president , and thus appeared to be next in line to be chosen . 
-LSB- 40 -RSB- When the French expressed opposition to the U.S. role in the Vietnam War , [TGT] debated them . 
-LSB- 297 -RSB- -LSB- 299 -RSB- -LSB- 301 -RSB- As many potential Republican candidates with star power and fundraising ability decided not to run -LRB- including Mike Pence , John Thune , Haley Barbour , Mike Huckabee , and Mitch Daniels -RRB- , Republican party figures searched for plausible alternatives to [TGT] . 
-LSB- nb [TGT] then became co-president of a mission that had become demoralized and disorganized after the May 1968 general strike and student uprisings and the car accident . 
-LSB- 41 -RSB- With [TGT] rallying the others , the mission met its goal of 200 baptisms for the year , the most in a decade . 
-LSB- 33 -RSB- -LSB- 42 -RSB- As a result of his experience there , [TGT] developed a lifelong affection for France and its people and has also remained fluent in French . 
[TGT] raised $ 56 million during 2011 , more than double the amount raised by any of [TGT] Republican opponents , -LSB- 306 -RSB- and refrained from spending [TGT] own money on the campaign . 
At their first meeting following [TGT] return , [TGT] and Ann Davies reconnected and decided to get married . 
-LSB- 45 [TGT] began attending Brigham Young University -LRB- BYU -RRB- , where [TGT] had been studying . 
-LSB- 309 -RSB- Perry and [TGT] exchanged sharp criticisms of each other during a series of debates among the Republican candidates . 
[TGT] continued to seek support from a wary Republican electorate ; at this point in the race , [TGT] poll numbers were relatively flat and at a historically low level for a Republican frontrunner . 
-LSB- 311 -RSB- -LSB- 315 -RSB- -LSB- 316 -RSB- After the charges of flip-flopping that marked [TGT] 2008 campaign began to accumulate again , [TGT] declared in November 2011 : "I 've been as consistent as human beings can be ." 
-LSB- 317 -RSB- -LSB- 318 -RSB- -LSB- 319 -RSB- In the final month before voting began , Newt Gingrich experienced a significant surge -- taking a solid lead in national polls and most of the early caucus and primary states -LSB- 320 -RSB- -- before settling back into parity or worse with [TGT] following a barrage of negative ads from Restore Our Future , a pro-Romney Super PAC . 
-LSB- 49 -RSB- During the U.S. military draft for the Vietnam War , [TGT] sought and received two 2-S student deferments , then a 4-D ministerial deferment while living in France as a Mormon missionary . 
In the initial contest , the 2012 Iowa caucuses of January 3 , election officials announced [TGT] as ahead with 25 percent of the vote , edging out a late-gaining Rick Santorum by eight votes -LRB- an also-strong Ron Paul finished third -RRB- . 
-LSB- 323 -RSB- A week after the Iowa caucuses , [TGT] earned a decisive win in the New Hampshire primary with a total of 39 percent of the vote ; Paul finished second and Jon Huntsman , Jr. third . 
At culturally conservative BYU , [TGT] remained isolated from much of the upheaval of that era . 
-LSB- 254 -RSB- Huckabee and McCain criticized [TGT] 's image as a flip flopper -LSB- 254 -RSB- and this label would stick to [TGT] through the campaign -LSB- 230 -RSB- -LRB- one that [TGT] rejected as unfair and inaccurate , except for [TGT] acknowledged change of mind on abortion -RRB- . 
In the run-up to the South Carolina Republican primary , Gingrich launched ads criticizing [TGT] for causing job losses while at Bain Capital , Perry referred to [TGT] 's role there as "vulture capitalism" , and Sarah Palin pressed [TGT] to prove [TGT] claim that [TGT] created 100,000 jobs during that time . 
-LSB- 325 -RSB- -LSB- 326 -RSB- Many conservatives rallied in defense of [TGT] , rejecting what they inferred as criticism of free-market capitalism . 
-LSB- 325 -RSB- During two debates in the state , [TGT] fumbled questions about releasing [TGT] income tax returns , while Gingrich gained support with audience-rousing attacks on the debate moderators . 
-LSB- 327 -RSB- -LSB- 328 [TGT] 's double-digit lead in state polls evaporated ; [TGT] lost to Gingrich by 13 points in the January 21 primary . 
-LSB- 327 -RSB- Combined with the delayed loss in Iowa , [TGT] 's admitted poor week represented a lost chance to end the race early , and [TGT] quickly decided to release two years of [TGT] tax returns . 
-LSB- 327 -RSB- -LSB- 329 -RSB- The race turned to the Florida Republican primary , where in debates , appearances , and advertisements , [TGT] launched a sustained barrage against Gingrich 's past record and associations and current electability . 
Benjamin -LRB- 1978 -RRB- and Craig -LRB- 1981 -RRB- would arrive later , after [TGT] had begun [TGT] career . 
[TGT] wanted to pursue a business career , but [TGT] father advised [TGT] that a law degree would be valuable to [TGT] career even if [TGT] never practiced law . 
Several caucuses and primaries took place during February , and Santorum won three in a single night early in the month , propelling [TGT] into the lead in national and some state polls and positioning [TGT] as [TGT] 's chief rival . 
-LSB- 333 -RSB- Days later , [TGT] told the Conservative Political Action Conference that [TGT] had been a "severely conservative governor" -LSB- 334 -RSB- -LRB- while during [TGT] term in 2005 [TGT] had maintained that [TGT] positions were moderate and characterized reports that [TGT] was shifting to the right to attract conservative votes a media distortion -RRB- . 
-LSB- 335 [TGT] won the other five February contests , including a closely fought one in [TGT] home state of Michigan at the end of the month . 
-LSB- 291 -RSB- The antipathy Republicans felt for it created a potential problem for the former governor , since the new federal law was in many ways similar to the Massachusetts health care reform passed during [TGT] 's gubernatorial tenure ; as one Associated Press article stated , "Obamacare ... looks a lot like Romneycare ." 
-LSB- 338 [TGT] maintained [TGT] delegate margin through subsequent contests , -LSB- 339 -RSB- and Santorum suspended [TGT] campaign on April 10 . 
-LSB- 340 -RSB- Following a sweep of five more contests on April 24 , the Republican National Committee put its resources to work for [TGT] as the party 's presumptive nominee . 
-LSB- 341 [TGT] clinched a majority of the delegates with a win in the Texas primary on May 29 . 
Main article : Business career of [TGT] . 
Recruited by several firms in 1975 , [TGT] joined the Boston Consulting Group -LRB- BCG -RRB- , reasoning that working as a management consultant for a variety of companies would better prepare [TGT] for a future position as a chief executive . 
-LSB- 343 -RSB- A related issue dealt with [TGT] 's purported responsibility for actions at Bain Capital after taking the Olympics post . 
-LSB- 98 -RSB- -LSB- 100 [TGT] faced demands from Democrats to release additional years of [TGT] tax returns , an action a number of Republicans also felt would be wise ; after being adamant that [TGT] would not do that , [TGT] released summaries of them in late September . 
-LSB- 110 -RSB- -LSB- 344 -RSB- During May and June , the Obama campaign spent heavily and was able to paint a negative image of [TGT] in voters ' minds before the [TGT] campaign could construct a positive one . 
In July 2012 , [TGT] visited the United Kingdom , Israel , and Poland , meeting leaders in an effort to raise [TGT] credibility as a world statesman . 
-LSB- 56 -RSB- -LSB- 62 -RSB- -LSB- 65 -RSB- Bain himself would later say of the thirty-year-old Romney , "He had the appearance -LSB- sic -RSB- of confidence of a guy who was maybe ten years older ." 
-LSB- 347 -RSB- -LSB- 348 -RSB- Israeli Prime Minister -LRB- and former BCG colleague -RRB- Benjamin Netanyahu , embraced [TGT] , though some Palestinians criticized him for suggesting that Israel 's culture led to their greater economic success . 
-LSB- 56 -RSB- -LSB- 62 [TGT] became a vice-president of the firm in 1978 , -LSB- 15 -RSB- working with such clients as the Monsanto Company , Outboard Marine Corporation , Burlington Industries , and Corning Incorporated . 
-LSB- 448 -RSB- In February 2017 , [TGT] stated that Trump is "off to a very strong start" in fulfilling [TGT] campaign promises , although [TGT] has "no regrets" about [TGT] anti-Trump speech . 
On August 11 , 2012 , the [TGT] campaign announced the selection of Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his vice-presidential running mate . 
On August 28 , 2012 , the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa , Florida , officially nominated [TGT] as [TGT] candidate for the presidency . 
-LSB- 351 [TGT] became the first Mormon to be a major-party presidential nominee . 
Two family incidents during this time later surfaced during [TGT] 's political campaigns . 
-LSB- 68 -RSB- -LSB- 69 -RSB- A state park ranger in 1981 told [TGT] his motorboat had an insufficiently visible license number and that he would face a $ 50 fine if he took the boat onto the lake . 
Disagreeing about the license and wanting to continue a family outing , [TGT] took it out anyway , saying [TGT] would pay the fine . 
[TGT] went on to say : "And so my job is not to worry about those people . 
-LSB- 47 -RSB- The dog incident in particular later became fodder for [TGT] 's critics and political opponents . 
County-by-county results of the election , shaded by percentage won : Obama in blue , [TGT] in red . 
Media figures and political analysts widely viewed [TGT] as having delivered a stronger and more focused presentation than did President Obama . 
In 1984 , [TGT] left Bain & Company to cofound the spin-off private equity investment firm , Bain Capital . 
-LSB- 72 -RSB- [TGT] had initially refrained from accepting Bill Bain 's offer to head the new venture , until Bain rearranged the terms in a complicated partnership structure so that there was no financial or professional risk to [TGT] . 
-LSB- 56 -RSB- -LSB- 66 -RSB- -LSB- 73 -RSB- Bain and [TGT] raised the $ 37 million in funds needed to start the new operation , which had seven employees . 
-LSB- 59 -RSB- -LSB- 74 [TGT] held the titles of president -LSB- 75 -RSB- and managing general partner . 
-LSB- 359 [TGT] garnered 206 electoral college votes to Obama 's 332 , losing all but one of nine battleground states , and 47 percent of the nationwide popular vote to Obama 's 51 percent . 
-LSB- 360 -RSB- -LSB- 361 -RSB- Media accounts described [TGT] as "shellshocked" by the result . 
-LSB- 362 -RSB- But [TGT] 's get out the vote operation had been inferior to Obama 's , both in person-to-person organization and in voter modeling and outreach technology -LSB- 363 -RSB- -LRB- the latter exemplified by the failure of the Project Orca application -RRB- . 
[TGT] set up a system in which any partner could veto one of these potential opportunities , and [TGT] personally saw so many weaknesses that few venture capital investments were approved in the initial two years . 
-LSB- 56 -RSB- The firm 's first significant success was a 1986 investment to help start Staples Inc. , after founder Thomas G. Stemberg convinced [TGT] of the market size for office supplies and [TGT] convinced others ; Bain Capital eventually reaped a nearly sevenfold return on its investment , and [TGT] sat on the Staples board of directors for over a decade . 
-LSB- 364 -RSB- Reflecting on [TGT] defeat during a conference call to hundreds of fundraisers and donors a week after the election , [TGT] attributed the outcome to Obama 's having secured the votes of specific interest groups , including African Americans , Hispanic Americans , young people , and women , by offering them what [TGT] called "extraordinary financial gifts ." 
[TGT] soon switched Bain Capital 's focus from startups to the relatively new business of leveraged buyouts : buying existing companies with money mostly borrowed from banking institutions using the newly bought companies ' assets as collateral , then taking steps to improve the companies ' value , and finally selling those companies once their value peaked , usually within a few years . 
See also : Issues and positions throughout [TGT] 's political career . 
[TGT] discovered few investment opportunities himself -LRB- and those that [TGT] did , often failed to make money for the firm -RRB- . 
[TGT] meeting with President Obama after the 2012 presidential election . 
-LSB- 84 -RSB- Within Bain Capital , [TGT] spread profits from deals widely within the firm to keep people motivated , often keeping less than ten percent for [TGT] . 
-LSB- 85 -RSB- Data-driven , [TGT] often played the role of a devil 's advocate during exhaustive analysis of whether to go forward with a deal . 
-LSB- 56 [TGT] served on the board of directors of Damon Corporation , a medical testing company later found guilty of defrauding the government ; Bain Capital tripled its investment before selling off the company , and the fraud was discovered by the new owners [TGT] was never implicated -RRB- . 
-LSB- 56 -RSB- In some cases , [TGT] had little involvement with a company once Bain Capital acquired it . 
[TGT] pledged to lead an effort to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -LRB- "Obamacare" -RRB- and replace it with a system that gives states more control over Medicaid and makes health insurance premiums tax-advantaged for individuals in the same way they are for businesses . 
-LSB- 429 [TGT] publicly criticized Trump for not releasing [TGT] taxes , saying there might be a "bombshell" in them . 
-LSB- 86 -RSB- Referring to the layoffs that sometimes occurred , [TGT] said in 2007 : "Sometimes the medicine is a little bitter but it is necessary to save the life of the patient . 
[TGT] opposed the use of mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions to deal with global warming . 
In 1990 , facing financial collapse , Bain & Company asked [TGT] to return . 
[TGT] labeled Russia as America 's "number one geopolitical foe" , -LSB- 384 -RSB- and asserted that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear capability should be America 's "highest national security priority" . 
-LSB- 385 [TGT] stated [TGT] strong support for Israel . 
In addition to calling for cuts in federal government spending to help reduce the national debt , [TGT] proposed measures intended to limit the growth of entitlement programs , such as introducing means testing and gradually raising the eligibility ages for receipt of Social Security and Medicare . 
-LSB- [TGT] supported the Patriot Act , -LSB- 388 -RSB- the continued operation of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp , and use of enhanced interrogation techniques against suspected terrorists . 
[TGT] took a leave of absence from Bain Capital from November 1993 to November 1994 to run for the U.S. Senate . 
-LSB- 47 -RSB- -LSB- 93 -RSB- During that time , Ampad workers went on strike and asked [TGT] to intervene . 
Against the advice of Bain Capital lawyers , [TGT] met the strikers , but told them [TGT] had no position of active authority in the matter . 
Since 2005 , [TGT] described [TGT] as "pro-life" . 
-LSB- 392 -RSB- -LSB- nb 10 -RSB- -LSB- nb 14 -RSB- During [TGT] 1994 campaign for the senate , [TGT] had said , "I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country ," a stance [TGT] reiterated during [TGT] 2002 campaign for governor . 
-LSB- 137 -RSB- -LSB- 395 -RSB- While [TGT] would prefer to see passage of a constitutional amendment that would outlaw abortion , [TGT] did not believe the public would support such an amendment ; -LSB- 396 -RSB- as an alternative , [TGT] promised to nominate Supreme Court justices who would help overturn Roe v. Wade , allowing each state to decide on the legality of abortion . 
Starting in February 1999 , [TGT] took a paid leave of absence from Bain Capital in order to serve as the president and CEO of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games Organizing Committee . 
-LSB- 97 -RSB- -LSB- 98 -RSB- Billed in some public statements as keeping a part-time role , -LSB- 97 -RSB- -LSB- 99 [TGT] remained the firm 's sole shareholder , managing director , CEO , and president , signing corporate and legal documents , attending to [TGT] interests within the firm , and conducting prolonged negotiations for the terms of [TGT] departure . 
In August 2001 , [TGT] announced that [TGT] would not return to Bain Capital . 
During the first year following the election defeat , [TGT] generally kept a low profile , -LSB- 401 -RSB- with [TGT] ordinary daily activities around San Diego being captured via social media glimpses . 
-LSB- 403 -RSB- In March 2013 , [TGT] gave a reflective interview on Fox News Sunday , stating , "It kills me not to be there , not to be in the White House doing what needs to be done" . 
-LSB- 406 -RSB- [TGT] began working as executive partner group chairman for Solamere Capital , a private capital firm in Boston owned by [TGT] son Tagg . 
As a result of his business career , [TGT] and [TGT] wife had a net worth of between $ 190 and $ 250 million , -LSB- 2 -RSB- -LSB- 103 -RSB- including their retirement account , worth between $ 20 and $ 100 million . 
-LSB- 107 -RSB- -LSB- 108 -RSB- In 2010 , [TGT] and [TGT] wife received about $ 22 million in income , almost all of it from investments such as dividends , capital gains , and carried interest ; and they paid about $ 3 million in federal income taxes , for an effective tax rate of 14 percent . 
-LSB- 407 -RSB- -LSB- 410 -RSB- In addition , [TGT] and [TGT] siblings continue to own a cottage in the gated community called Beach O ' Pines located south of Grand Bend , Ontario , which has been in the family for more than sixty years . 
[TGT] has tithed to the LDS Church regularly , and donated generously to LDS Church-owned BYU . 
-LSB- 409 -RSB- The 2014 documentary film Mitt showed a behind-the-scenes , family-based perspective on both of [TGT] 's presidential campaigns and received positive notices for humanizing the candidate and illustrating the toll that campaigning takes . 
-LSB- 109 -RSB- The [TGT] family 's Tyler Charitable Foundation gave out about $ 650,000 in that year , some of which went to organizations that fight diseases . 
-LSB- 342 -RSB- Negative ads from both sides dominated the campaign , with Obama 's proclaiming that [TGT] shipped jobs overseas while at Bain Capital and kept money in offshore tax havens and Swiss bank accounts . 
[TGT] himself thought [TGT] might be branded a "loser for life" and fade into an obscurity like Michael Dukakis -LSB- 406 -RSB- -LRB- a similar figure with no obvious base of political support who had lost what [TGT] party considered a winnable presidential election -RRB- -LSB- 414 -RSB- but , to the surprise of many political observers , that did not happen . 
-LSB- 415 -RSB- Romney re-emerged onto the political scene in the run-up to the 2014 U.S. midterm elections , endorsing , campaigning , and fundraising for a number of Republican candidates , especially those running for the U.S. Senate . 
During [TGT] business career , [TGT] held several positions in the local lay clergy . 
-LSB- 330 -RSB- -LSB- 331 [TGT] enjoyed a large spending advantage from both [TGT] campaign and [TGT] aligned Super PAC , and after a record-breaking rate of negative ads from both sides , [TGT] won Florida on January 31 , gaining 46 percent of the vote to Gingrich 's 32 percent . 
-LSB- 413 -RSB- Regarding such a possibility , [TGT] at first responded , "Oh , no , no , no . 
From 1986 to 1994 , [TGT] presided over the Boston Stake , which included more than a dozen wards in eastern Massachusetts and almost 4,000 church members . 
-LSB- 419 -RSB- A poll conducted in July 2014 by CNN showed [TGT] with a 53 to 44 lead over Obama in a hypothetical election "redo ." 
-LSB- 420 -RSB- -LSB- 421 -RSB- By early 2015 , [TGT] was actively considering the idea and contacting [TGT] network of supporters . 
-LSB- 422 -RSB- -LSB- 423 -RSB- In doing so [TGT] was positioning [TGT] in the invisible primary -- the preliminary jockeying for the backing of party leaders , donors , and political operatives -- against former Florida governor Jeb Bush , who had already set a likely campaign in motion and would be a rival to [TGT] for establishment Republican support . 
-LSB- 423 -RSB- -LSB- 424 -RSB- Despite support in some quarters for a third bid for the presidency , there was a backlash against [TGT] from conservatives who wanted a fresher face without a history of presidential losses , -LSB- 425 -RSB- and many of [TGT] 's past donors were not willing to commit to [TGT] again . 
-LSB- [TGT] announced on January 30 , 2015 that [TGT] would not run for president in 2016 , saying that while [TGT] thought [TGT] could win the nomination , "one of our next generation of Republican leaders" would be better positioned to win the general election . 
[TGT] took a hands-on role in the Belmont Stake 's matters , helping in domestic maintenance efforts , visiting the sick , and counseling burdened church members . 
As the Republican presidential nomination race went into the primaries season , [TGT] had not endorsed anyone but was one of the Republican establishment figures who were becoming increasingly concerned about the front-runner status of New York businessman Donald Trump . 
-LSB- 115 [TGT] tried to balance the conservative directives from church leadership in Utah with the desire of some Massachusetts members to have a more flexible application of religious doctrine . 
-LSB- 430 -RSB- Trump responded by calling [TGT] "one of the dumbest and worst candidates in the history of Republican politics ." 
-LSB- 429 -RSB- Then [TGT] gave a speech on March 3 , 2016 , at the Hinckley Institute of Politics , that represented a scathing attack on Trump 's personal behavior , business performance , and domestic and foreign policy stances . 
-LSB- 67 [TGT] later said that the years spent as an LDS minister gave him direct exposure to people struggling financially and empathy for those with family problems . 
-LSB- 431 -RSB- -LSB- 432 -RSB- In response Trump dismissed [TGT] as a "choke artist" . 
[TGT] and Paul Ryan seen in medium distance on an outdoor stage , with large crowd around [TGT] . 
-LSB- 432 -RSB- -LSB- 433 -RSB- -LSB- 434 [TGT] encouraged Republicans to engage in tactical voting , by supporting whichever of the remaining rivals had the best chance to beat Trump in any given state , -LSB- 435 -RSB- and as [TGT] announced [TGT] was voting for , although not endorsing , Ted Cruz for president prior to the March 22 Utah caucus . 
[TGT] then announced that [TGT] would not support Trump in the general election , saying , "I am dismayed at where we are now , I wish we had better choices" . 
-LSB- 432 [TGT] 's speech represented an unprecedented attack by a major U.S. party 's most recent presidential nominee against the party 's current front-runner for the nomination . 
For much of his business career , [TGT] did not take public , political stances . 
In June , [TGT] said that [TGT] would not vote for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton either , saying : "It 's a matter of personal conscience . 
-LSB- 440 -RSB- When pressed on who of Trump and Clinton was more qualified to be President , [TGT] quoted P. J. O'Rourke : "Hillary Clinton is wrong on every issue , but she 's wrong within the normal parameters ." 
By 1993 , [TGT] had begun thinking about entering politics , partly based upon Ann 's urging and partly to follow in [TGT] father 's footsteps . 
-LSB- 441 -RSB- In September [TGT] called for Johnson to be included in the presidential debates -LSB- 442 -RSB- and in October it emerged that Independent candidate Evan McMullin was using an email list of 2.5 million [TGT] supporters to raise money . 
-LSB- 443 -RSB- McMullin 's chief strategist said that it was purchased from [TGT] for President and that "we 'll let other folks discuss what that may mean and certainly never speak for -LSB- [TGT] -RSB-" . 
-LSB- 123 -RSB- -LSB- 124 -RSB- -LSB- 125 [TGT] changed [TGT] affiliation to Republican in October 1993 and formally announced [TGT] candidacy in February 1994 . 
-LSB- 47 -RSB- In addition to [TGT] leave from Bain Capital , [TGT] als stepped down from [TGT] church leadership role in 1994 . 
-LSB- 444 -RSB- After Trump won the election , [TGT] congratulated [TGT] via phone call and on Twitter . 
-LSB- 445 -RSB- On November 19 , [TGT] met with the President-elect at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster , New Jersey , reportedly to discuss the position of Secretary of State , -LSB- 446 -RSB- -LSB- 447 -RSB- a position which ultimately went to Rex Tillerson . 
Radio personality Janet Jeghelian took an early lead in polls among candidates for the Republican nomination for the Senate seat , but [TGT] proved the most effective fundraiser . 
-LSB- [TGT] defeated Lakian in the September 1994 primary with more than 80 percent of the vote . 
In September 2017 press reports said that should U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch retire , [TGT] would run in Utah for that seat in 2018 . 
-LSB- 123 -RSB- The younger , telegenic , and well-funded [TGT] ran as a businessman who stated he had created ten thousand jobs and as a Washington outsider with a solid family image and moderate stances on social issues . 
-LSB- 123 -RSB- -LSB- 130 -RSB- When Kennedy tried to tie [TGT] 's policies to those of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush , [TGT] responded , "Look , I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush . 
-LSB- 131 [TGT] stated , "Ultimately , this is a campaign about change ." 
[TGT] has received a number of honorary doctorates , including in business from the University of Utah in 1999 , -LSB- 451 -RSB- in law from Bentley College in 2002 , -LSB- 452 -RSB- in public administration from Suffolk University Law School in 2004 , -LSB- 453 -RSB- in public service from Hillsdale College in 2007 , -LSB- 454 -RSB- and in humanities from Liberty University in 2012 . 
[TGT] 's campaign was effective in portraying Kennedy as soft on crime , but had trouble establishing its own consistent positions . 
-LSB- 336 -RSB- -LSB- 337 -RSB- In the Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses of March 6 , [TGT] won six of ten contests , including a narrow victory in Ohio over a vastly outspent Santorum . 
-LSB- 123 -RSB- -LSB- 134 -RSB- -LSB- 135 -RSB- Kennedy responded with a series of ads that focused on [TGT] 's seemingly shifting political views on issues such as abortion ; -LSB- 136 -RSB- Romney responded by stating , "I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country ." 
-LSB- 137 -RSB- Other Kennedy ads centered on layoffs of workers at the Ampad plant owned by [TGT] 's Bain Capital . 
-LSB- 123 -RSB- -LSB- 138 -RSB- The latter was effective in blunting [TGT] 's momentum . 
-LSB- 81 -RSB- Kennedy and [TGT] held a widely watched late-October debate that had no clear winner , but by then , Kennedy had pulled ahead in polls and stayed ahead afterward . 
-LSB- 139 [TGT] spent $ 3 million of [TGT] own money in the race and more than $ 7 million overall . 
-LSB- 140 -RSB- -LSB- nb 11 -RSB- In the November general election , despite a disastrous showing for Democrats nationwide , Kennedy won the election with 58 percent of the vote to [TGT] 's 41 percent , -LSB- 56 -RSB- the smallest margin in any of Kennedy 's re-election campaigns for the Senate . 
The day after the election , [TGT] returned to Bain Capital , but the loss had a lasting effect ; [TGT] told [TGT] brother , "I never want to run for something again unless I can win ." 
[TGT] felt restless as the decade neared a close ; the goal of simply making more money held little attraction for [TGT] . 
-LSB- 462 -RSB- In 2012 , Time magazine included [TGT] in their List of The 100 Most Influential People in the World . 
-LSB- 144 -RSB- -LSB- 146 -RSB- -LSB- 147 -RSB- On February 11 , 1999 , the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games of 2002 hired [TGT] as [TGT] president and CEO . 
Photograph of [TGT] standing with microphone in middle of curling lanes . 
Before [TGT] took over , the event was $ 379 million short of its revenue goals . 
They chose [TGT] based on [TGT] business and legal expertise as well as [TGT] connections to both the LDS Church and the state . 
-LSB- 39 [TGT] donated to charity the $ 1.4 million in salary and severance payments [TGT] received for [TGT] three years as president and CEO , and also contributed $ 1 million to the Olympics . 
[TGT] restructured the organization 's leadership and policies . 
[TGT] said that [TGT] would appoint federal judges in the mold of U.S. Supreme Court justices John Roberts , Clarence Thomas , Antonin Scalia , and Samuel Alito . 
-LSB- 144 -RSB- -LSB- 147 [TGT] worked to ensure the safety of the Games following the September 11 , 2001 terrorist attacks by coordinating a $ 300 million security budget . 
-LSB- 148 -RSB- The federal government provided approximately $ 400 million -LSB- 147 -RSB- -LSB- 153 -RSB- -LSB- 154 -RSB- to $ 600 million -LSB- 155 -RSB- -LSB- 156 -RSB- of that budget , much of it a result of [TGT] 's having aggressively lobbied Congress and federal agencies . 
[TGT] emerged as the local public face of the Olympic effort , appearing in photographs , in news stories , on collectible Olympics pins depicting [TGT] wrapped by an American flag , and on buttons carrying phrases like "Hey , [TGT] , we love you !" 
-LSB- 144 -RSB- -LSB- 147 -RSB- -LSB- 159 -RSB- Robert H. Garff , the chair of the organizing committee , later said "It was obvious that [TGT] had an agenda larger than just the Olympics ," -LSB- 144 -RSB- and that [TGT] wanted to use the Olympics to propel [TGT] into the national spotlight and a political career . 
-LSB- 147 -RSB- -LSB- 160 -RSB- Garff believed the initial budget situation was not as bad as [TGT] portrayed , given there were still three years to reorganize . 
-LSB- 147 -RSB- Olympics critic Steve Pace , who led Utahns for Responsible Public Spending , thought [TGT] exaggerated the initial fiscal state to lay the groundwork for a well-publicized rescue . 
-LSB- 160 -RSB- Kenneth Bullock , another board member of the organizing committee and also head of the Utah League of Cities and Towns , often clashed with [TGT] at the time , and later said that [TGT] deserved some credit for the turnaround but not as much as [TGT] claimed . 
By early 2014 , the lack of a clear mainstream Republican candidate for the 2016 presidential election led some supporters , donors , and pollsters to suggest [TGT] stage a third run . 
-LSB- 161 -RSB- President George W. Bush praised [TGT] 's efforts and 87 percent of Utahns approved of his performance as Olympics head . 
-LSB- 62 -RSB- U.S. Olympic Committee head William Hybl credited [TGT] with an extraordinary effort in overcoming a difficult time for the Olympics , culminating in "the greatest Winter Games I have ever seen" . 
-LSB- 147 [TGT] wrote a book about [TGT] experience titled Turnaround : Crisis , Leadership , and the Olympic Games , published in 2004 . 
The role gave [TGT] experience in dealing with federal , state , and local entities , a public persona [TGT] had previously lacked , and the chance to relaunch [TGT] political aspirations . 
-LSB- 296 -RSB- Beginning in early 2011 , [TGT] presented a more relaxed visual image , including more casual attire . 
-LSB- 162 -RSB- -LSB- 165 -RSB- Prominent party figures -- as well as the White House -- wanted [TGT] to run for governor -LSB- 166 -RSB- -LSB- 167 -RSB- and the opportunity appealed to [TGT] for reasons including its national visibility . 
-LSB- 168 -RSB- A poll by the Boston Herald showed Republicans favoring [TGT] over Swift by more than 50 percentage points . 
-LSB- 169 -RSB- On March 19 , 2002 , Swift announced she would not seek her party 's nomination , and hours later [TGT] declared [TGT] candidacy , -LSB- 169 -RSB- for which [TGT] would face no opposition in the primary . 
-LSB- 170 -RSB- In June 2002 , the Massachusetts Democratic Party challenged [TGT] 's eligibility to run for governor , noting that state law required seven years ' consecutive residence and that [TGT] had filed [TGT] state tax returns as a Utah resident in 1999 and 2000 . 
[TGT] again ran as a political outsider . 
-LSB- 413 -RSB- Nevertheless , speculation continued : the continuing unpopularity of Obama led to buyer 's remorse among some voters ; the 2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine made [TGT] 's "No. 1 geopolitical foe" remark look prescient ; and an August 2014 poll of Iowan Republicans showed [TGT] with a large lead there over other potential 2016 candidates . 
[TGT] released [TGT] book , No Apology : The Case for American Greatness , in March 2010 , and undertook an 18-state book tour to promote the work . 
In an attempt to overcome the image that had damaged [TGT] in the 1994 Senate race -- that of a wealthy corporate buyout specialist out of touch with the needs of regular people -- the campaign staged a series of "work days" , in which [TGT] performed blue-collar jobs such as herding cows and baling hay , unloading a fishing boat , and hauling garbage . 
-LSB- 346 [TGT] made about the readiness of the 2012 Summer Olympics were perceived as undiplomatic by the British press . 
-LSB- 180 -RSB- O'Brien said that [TGT] 's budget plans were unrealistic ; the two also differed on capital punishment and bilingual education , with [TGT] supporting the former and opposing the latter . 
-LSB- 356 -RSB- Exit polls published following the election showed that voters never saw [TGT] as someone who cared about people like them . 
During the election , [TGT] contributed more than $ 6 million -- a state record at the time -- to the nearly $ 10 million raised for [TGT] campaign overall . 
Main article : Governorship of [TGT] . 
The swearing in of [TGT] as the 70th governor of Massachusetts took place on January 2 , 2003 . 
-LSB- 290 [TGT] donated [TGT] earnings from the book to charity . 
-LSB- 189 -RSB- -LSB- 190 -RSB- Through a combination of spending cuts , increased fees , and removal of corporate tax loopholes , -LSB- 189 -RSB- the state achieved surpluses of around $ 600 -- 700 million during [TGT] 's last two full fiscal years in office , although it began running deficits again after that . 
[TGT] resting on a wooden desk , flanked by an American flag , a picture of [TGT] wife , a lamp , and a painting of mountains . 
[TGT] supported raising various fees , including those for drivers ' licenses and gun licenses , to raise more than $ 300 million . 
-LSB- 189 [TGT] also closed tax loopholes that brought in another $ 181 million from businesses over the next two years and over $ 300 million for [TGT] term . 
-LSB- [TGT] opposed same-sex marriage and civil unions , although [TGT] favored domestic partnership legislation that gives certain legal rights to same-sex couples , such as hospital visitation . 
-LSB- 174 -RSB- -LSB- 189 [TGT] sought additional cuts in [TGT] last year as governor by vetoing nearly 250 items in the state budget ; a heavily Democratic legislature overrode all the vetoes . 
-LSB- 174 -RSB- -LSB- 189 -RSB- The combined state and local tax burden in Massachusetts increased during [TGT] 's governorship . 
[TGT] sought to bring near-universal health insurance coverage to the state . 
-LSB- 176 -RSB- -LSB- 201 -RSB- Although the idea of universal health insurance had not come to the fore during the campaign , [TGT] decided that because people without insurance still received expensive health care , the money spent by the state for such care could be better used to subsidize insurance for the poor . 
Determined that a new Massachusetts health insurance measure not raise taxes or resemble the previous decade 's failed "Hillarycare" proposal at the federal level , [TGT] formed a team of consultants from diverse political backgrounds to apply those principles . 
-LSB- 176 -RSB- -LSB- 187 -RSB- -LSB- 201 -RSB- In particular , [TGT] pushed for incorporating an individual mandate at the state level . 
-LSB- 21 -RSB- Past rival Ted Kennedy , who had made universal health coverage [TGT] life 's work and who , over time , had developed a warm relationship with [TGT] , -LSB- 202 -RSB- gave the plan a positive reception , which encouraged Democratic legislators to cooperate . 
-LSB- 176 -RSB- -LSB- 201 -RSB- The effort eventually gained the support of all major stakeholders within the state , and [TGT] helped break a logjam between rival Democratic leaders in the legislature . 
-LSB- 206 -RSB- The law was the first of its kind in the nation and became the signature achievement of [TGT] 's term in office . 
At the beginning of [TGT] governorship , [TGT] opposed same-sex marriage and civil unions , but advocated tolerance and supported some domestic partnership benefits . 
-LSB- 210 [TGT] reluctantly backed a state constitutional amendment in February 2004 that would have banned those marriages but still allowed civil unions , viewing it as the only feasible way to accomplish the former . 
-LSB- 208 -RSB- -LSB- 211 -RSB- In June 2005 , [TGT] abandoned [TGT] support for the compromise amendment , stating that it confused voters who opposed both same-sex marriage and civil unions . 
In mid-September , a video surfaced of [TGT] speaking before a group of supporters in which [TGT] stated that 47 percent of the nation pays no income tax , are dependent on the federal government , see themselves as victims , and will support President Obama unconditionally . 
In 2005 , [TGT] revealed a change of view regarding abortion , moving from the pro-choice positions expressed during [TGT] 1994 and 2002 campaigns to a pro-life one in opposition to Roe v. Wade . 
-LSB- 176 [TGT] attributed [TGT] conversion to an interaction with Harvard University biologist Douglas Melton , an expert on embryonic stem cell biology , although Melton vehemently disputed [TGT] 's recollection of [TGT] conversation . 
-LSB- 214 [TGT] subsequently vetoed a bill on pro-life grounds that expanded access to emergency contraception in hospitals and pharmacies -LRB- the legislature overrode the veto -RRB- . 
[TGT] used a bully pulpit approach towards promoting [TGT] agenda , staging well-organized media events to appeal directly to the public rather than pushing [TGT] proposals in behind-doors sessions with the state legislature . 
-LSB- 176 -RSB- After two years of negotiating the state 's participation in the landmark Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative that instituted a cap-and-trade arrangement for power plant emissions in the Northeast , [TGT] pulled Massachusetts out of the initiative shortly before [TGT] signing in December 2005 , citing a lack of cost limits for industry . 
During 2004 , [TGT] spent considerable effort trying to bolster the state Republican Party , but [TGT] failed to gain any seats in the state legislative elections that year . 
-LSB- 218 -RSB- Midway through [TGT] term , [TGT] decided that [TGT] wanted to stage a full-time run for president , -LSB- 219 -RSB- and on December 14 , 2005 , announced that [TGT] would not seek re-election for a second term . 
-LSB- 220 -RSB- As chair of the Republican Governors Association , [TGT] traveled around the country , meeting prominent Republicans and building a national political network ; -LSB- 219 -RSB- [TGT] spent all , or parts of , more than 200 days out of state during 2006 , preparing for [TGT] run . 
-LSB- 443 -RSB- A spokeswoman for [TGT] said that the list had been "rented by several political candidates in the presidential primary , and by countless other political and commercial users in the time since the 2012 campaign" -LSB- 443 -RSB- and [TGT] made no public comment on McMullin 's candidacy . 
-LSB- 222 -RSB- -LSB- 223 [TGT] 's approval rating stood at 34 percent in November 2006 , ranking 48th of the 50 U.S. governors . 
-LSB- 224 -RSB- Dissatisfaction with [TGT] 's administration and the weak condition of the Republican state party were among several factors contributing to Democrat Deval Patrick 's 20-point win over Republican Kerry Healey , [TGT] 's lieutenant governor , in the 2006 Massachusetts gubernatorial election . 
[TGT] filed to register a presidential campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission on [TGT] penultimate day in office as governor . 
Main article : [TGT] presidential campaign , 2008 . 
[TGT] formally announced [TGT] candidacy for the 2008 Republican nomination for president on February 13 , 2007 , in Dearborn , Michigan . 
[TGT] addressing an audience from atop a stage . 
[TGT] emphasized [TGT] 's highly profitable career in the business world and [TGT] stewardship of the Olympics . 
-LSB- 238 -RSB- Media stories referred to the 6-foot-2-inch -LRB- 1.88 m -RRB- [TGT] as handsome . 
[TGT] 's liabilities included having run for senator and serving as governor in one of the nation 's most liberal states and having taken positions in opposition to the party 's conservative base during that time . 
People magazine included [TGT] in its 50 Most Beautiful People list for 2002 , -LSB- 460 -RSB- and in 2004 , a foundation that promotes the Olympic truce , gave [TGT] its inaugural Truce Ideal Award . 
-LSB- 219 -RSB- -LSB- 230 -RSB- -LSB- 237 -RSB- Skeptics , including some Republicans , charged [TGT] with opportunism and a lack of core principles . 
-LSB- 444 -RSB- Romney and [TGT] wife cast early ballots in Utah , but [TGT] declined to say who [TGT] voted for .