Full Name: Willard Mitt Romney

Current Office: Governor of Massachusetts

Born: Detroit, Michigan on March 12, 1947

Education: Brigham Young University (1971), Harvard Business School (1975), Harvard Law School (1975)

Religion: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Family: Married to Ann Davies, they have three sons (Tagg, Matt, Josh, Ben and Craig) and eight grandchildren.

Significant Career Experience:

Vice-President, Bain & Company, 1978-1984
Co-founder, Bain Capitol, 1984-1990
CEO, Bain & Company, 1990-1993
Republican Nominee for US Senate in Massachusetts, 1994
CEO of Salt Lake Organizing Committee, 1999-2002
Governor of Massachusetts, 2002-present

Publications:
Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games, (2004)

Mitt Romney knows that when working with a state legislature that is 85% democratic, compromise is necessary to survive. But while he tacked to the left on social issues to win election in 2002 (he promised to not seek to change abortion law), Romney has surprisingly held his own as a dyed-in-the-wool conservative in the sea of democratic blue that is Massachusetts.

Nicknamed "Catcher's Mitt," Romney’s strongest appeal, like his father before him (former Michigan Governor and CEO of American Motors Company), is his success in business and his promise to translate those successes to the public sector. He’s a true executive, gaining national and worldwide notoriety for steering the 2002 Winter Olympics past its scandal-plagued beginnings towards surprising success and profitability.

Beyond that, Romney brings proven ability to win swing and crossover voters. He’s a strong fiscal conservative, but he has the ability to project moderation on social issues. This could be of great help in New Hampshire, where the republican primary electorate is more socially libertarian than in other places in the country.

Romney also has the neighborly advantage of sharing a border (and a media market) with New Hampshire, so he’s about as local of a candidate that the Granite state will get.

It’s unclear whether Mitt Romney's affiliation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS, Mormon) will play a factor. A 1999 Gallup poll found that 17% of those surveyed would not vote for a Mormon candidate for president, compared to Jewish (6%) or Catholic (4%). Christian conservatives, who hold greater sway in determining the republican nominee, are even more wary of voting for a Mormon candidate. Conversely, Romney’s religion may help him if Nevada, Arizona, or any other state with a large Mormon population, is selected as one of the first primary states.

"Catcher's Mitt" has announced he will not seek re-election in 2006, but is he a "good catch?".
See also

• Bill Frist
• Condoleezza Rice
• George Allen
• John McCain
• Rudy Giuliani