Here’s a look at the life of Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor and former Republican presidential nominee.
Personal:
Birth date: March 12, 1947
Birth place: Detroit, Michigan
Birth name: Willard Mitt Romney
Father: George W. Romney, former governor of Michigan
Mother: Lenore (LaFount) Romney
Marriage: Ann (Davies) Romney (March 21, 1969-present)
Children: Craig; Benjamin; Joshua; Matthew; Taggart
Education: Attended Stanford University, 1965-1966; Brigham Young University, B.A., 1971; Harvard University, joint J.D./M.B.A. degree, 1975
Religion: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Other Facts:
His middle name comes from his father’s cousin, Mitt, who played in the NFL for the Chicago Bears in the 1920s.
Has been involved in various charities and civic groups including the Boy Scouts, City Year and the Points of Light Foundation.
Timeline:
Late 1960s – After his freshman year at Stanford, Romney spends two years in France as a Mormon missionary.
1978-1984 – Vice president of Boston-based Bain & Company, a management consulting firm.
1984-1990 and 1991-1999 – Chief executive officer of Bain Capital, a company he also founded.
1990-1991 – Returns to Bain & Company as chief executive officer.
1994 – Makes an unsuccessful run for the US Senate against Ted Kennedy.
1999-2002 – President and chief executive officer of the Salt Lake City Olympic Organizing Committee, the group in charge of the 2002 Winter Olympics.
January 2, 2003-January 4, 2007 – Republican Governor of Massachusetts.
April 12, 2006 – Signs health care legislation for Massachusetts.
January 3, 2007 – Romney files papers with the FEC for an exploratory committee, the initial step toward running for president in 2008.
February 13, 2007 – Officially announces his intention to run in the 2008 presidential election, in Dearborn, Michigan.
February 7, 2008 – Suspends his campaign after a disappointing showing in the Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses.
February 14, 2008 – Endorses John McCain for president and encourages his 286 delegates to support McCain.
March 2, 2010 – Romney’s book, “No Apology: The Case for American Greatness,” is released.
April 11, 2011 – In a YouTube video, Romney announces that he’s formed an exploratory committee in his second run for the White House.
June 2, 2011 – Romney officially announces his candidacy for president, from a family farm in Stratham, New Hampshire.
September 6, 2011 – Announces his job creation plan for America.
January 24, 2012 – Romney’s campaign releases tax documents showing Romney made $42.7 million over the past two years and paid $6.2 million in taxes.
August 11, 2012 – Announces Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate.
August 30, 2012 – Gives his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.
September 16, 2012 – Video is released showing Romney at a $50,000-a-plate fundraiser, referring to 47% of the country as dependent on government assistance. “There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what…These are people who pay no income tax.”
September 21, 2012 – Releases his 2011 income tax return. The documents show Romney made $13.7 million and paid $1.94 million in taxes, a tax rate of 14.1%.
November 6, 2012 – Defeated in the general election by President Barack Obama. Romney wins 206 Electoral College votes to Obama’s 332.
December 3, 2012 – Romney rejoins the board of directors of Marriott International, Inc.
March 2013-present – Chairman of the executive committee of Solamere Capital, an investment firm founded by his son, Tagg.
January 16, 2015 – “I’m giving some serious consideration to the future,” Romney tells members of the Republican National Committee. “But this I know, we can win in 2016 as a party in the House, in the Senate, and in the White House if we communicate a clear vision of where we are taking this country and what we believe in.”
January 30, 2015 – Romney tells supporters he will not make a third run for president, saying he believes it’s “best to give other leaders in the party the opportunity” to become the nominee. He acknowledges during the call that he may not have been the strongest contender for the GOP in a general election, and said that was the primary motivation behind his decision.
March 4, 2016 – Tells NBC’s Matt Lauer on the “Today” show he will not make an 11th-hour presidential run to try to stop Donald Trump from winning the Republican nomination, the day after sharply attacking the real estate mogul’s candidacy.
December 12, 2016 – Romney confirms he is not President-elect Trump’s choice for secretary of state in the new administration.
January 8, 2018 – A source close to Romney tells CNN Romney was treated for prostate cancer over the summer. “He was treated surgically by Dr. Thomas Ahlering at UC Irvine Hospital in California,” the source said. “His prognosis is good; he was successfully treated.”
