Meet the Candidate: Mitt Romney

Candidate Name: Willard Mitt Romney

Political Party: Republican Party

Present Position/Job: Romney was most recently a candidate for president, running for the Republican nomination in the 2008 primaries. Romney lost to the eventual nominee, John McCain.

Born: March 12, 1947 in Detroit, Michigan

Currently lives in: Romney’s primary residence is in Belmont, Massachusetts. He also has homes in Wolfboro, New Hampshire, and San Diego, California.

Education: Brigham Young University, BA in English, 1971; Harvard University, MBA and JD, 1975

Past jobs, roles, or offices held: Bain & Company (1977-1984); Bain Capital (1984-1999); President and CEO, 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games (1999-2002); Governor of Massachusetts (2003-2007)

Mitt Romney is the son of George Romney, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination himself in 1968. In his youth, Romney was a cub scout, pep squad leader, and manager of his school’s ice hockey team. Romney graduated from the Cranbrook School in 1965. Beginning in 1966, Romney began a nearly three-year long stint as a Mormon missionary in France. When he returned home, Romney attended Brigham Young University and Harvard. After college Romney began a long and successful career in business, even managing the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Romney served as governor of Massachusetts from 2002 to 2007, and ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. He married his childhood friend, Ann Davies, in 1969. They have five children.

Did You Know?

Romney was named for his father’s cousin, Milton “Mitt” Romney, who was quarterback for the Chicago Bears from 1925 to 1929.

Romney on Education:

Initially, Mitt Romney supported closing the Department of Education. However, in 2007, he stated he had come to see the value of federal government involvement. Central to Romney’s education platform is a belief that students and parents should have the option of school choice, and that teachers and schools should be evaluated regularly. Additionally, as governor of Massachusetts, Romney supported charter schools as alternatives to schools in failing districts. Romney believes his education platform will “put parents and teachers back in charge of education.”

“Education is not just the teacher’s union. They’ve been the biggest obstacle to change in education and choice. It’s teachers, parents, the state, the federal government. It’s all levels coming together and working together for the benefit of our kids.”

–Des Moines Register Republican debate, December 12, 2007

Web site: www.mittromney.com