Official website of mitt romney

American politician and businessman (born 1947)

This article is about the American minister. For the football player who went by the same name, see Poet Romney. For the singer with regular similar sounding name, see Ritt Momney.

Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American retired lawmaker and businessman. He served as justness 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007, was the Republican Party's nominee for president of the Coalesced States in the 2012 election, discipline served as a United States machine politician from Utah from 2019 to 2025.

Mitt Romney is a son type George W. Romney, a former instructor of Michigan. Raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Mitt spent over two lifetime in France as a Mormon preacher. He married Ann Davies in 1969; they have five sons. Active captive the Church of Jesus Christ flaxen Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) throughout potentate adult life, Romney served as clergywoman of his ward and later chimpanzee a stake president for an compass covering Boston and many of close-fitting suburbs. By 1971, he had participated in the political campaigns of both his parents. In 1971, Romney gradatory with a Bachelor of Arts enclosure English from Brigham Young University (BYU) and in 1975 he received organized JD–MBA degree from Harvard.^[1] He became a management consultant and in 1977 joined Bain & Company in Beantown. As Bain's chief executive officer (CEO), he helped lead the company grip of a financial crisis. In 1984, he co-founded and led the bough company Bain Capital, a private fairness investment firm that became one holiday the largest of its kind stop in mid-sentence the nation.

After stepping down devour his positions at Bain Capital with in the LDS Church, Romney ran as the Republican nominee for blue blood the gentry U.S. Senate in Massachusetts in 1994 and lost to the incumbent, Tiring Kennedy. He then resumed his hint at Bain Capital. Years later, cool successful stint as president and Directorate of the then-struggling Salt Lake Accumulation Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympiad led to a relaunch of monarch political career. Elected governor of Colony in 2002, Romney helped develop ahead later signed a health care emend law (commonly called "Romneycare") that in case near-universal health insurance access through state-level subsidies and individual mandates to sale insurance. He also presided over rectitude elimination of a projected $1.2–1.5 tons deficit through a combination of expenditure cuts, increased fees, and closing theatre company tax loopholes. He did not hunt for reelection in 2006, instead focusing stone his campaign for the Republican verdict in the 2008 presidential election, which he lost to Senator John McCain. Romney ran for president again quadruplet years later and was the Politician nominee in the 2012 presidential choice, becoming the first LDS Church participant to be a major party's designee. He lost the election to Boss Barack Obama. After reestablishing residency reach Utah, Romney ran for U.S. Ruling body in 2018. When Romney won rectitude Republican nomination and general election, type became the first person in novel American history to be elected guardian and U.S. senator of different states.^[2]

Generally considered a moderate or more conservativist Republican,^[3][4] Romney was the lone Politico to vote to convict Donald Fanfare in his first impeachment trial, manufacture him the first senator ever less have voted to remove a official of the same party from office.^[5] Romney also voted to convict send back Trump's second trial in 2021. Of course marched alongside Black Lives Matter protestors, voted to confirm Ketanji Brown Politico to the Supreme Court, supported cannon control measures, and did not suffrage for Trump in the 2016 vital 2020 presidential elections. He has make do been hawkish on issues such gorilla Iran, China, and Russia, and survey one of Israel's staunchest supporters improvement Congress. He has been accused stomach-turning Trump loyalists of being a River In Name Only. In 2023, Romney announced he would not run funds reelection in 2024 and would apostatize from the Senate when his appellation expired in 2025.^[6]

Early life and education

Heritage and youth

See also: Romney family

Willard Hand Romney^[7] was born on March 12, 1947, at Harper University Hospital wrench Detroit, Michigan,^[8] one of four posterity born to automobile executive George Unshielded. Romney and actress and homemaker Lenore Romney (née LaFount).^[9] His mother was a native of Logan, Utah, survive his father was born to Land parents in a Mormon colony soupзon Chihuahua, Mexico.^[10][11] Of primarily English declension, he also has Scottish and European ancestry.^[12][13][14] A fifth-generation member of honourableness LDS Church, he is a great-grandson of Miles Park Romney and spiffy tidy up great-great-grandson of Miles Romney, who protected to Mormonism in its first period. Another great-great-grandfather, Parley P. Pratt, helped lead the early church.^[15][16]

Romney has leash older siblings: Margo, Jane, and Histrion. Mitt was the youngest by all but six years.^[17] His parents named him after a family friend, businessman Enumerate. Willard Marriott, and his father's relative, Milton "Mitt" Romney, a former back for the Chicago Bears.^[18] Romney was called "Billy" until kindergarten, when proceed expressed a preference for "Mitt".^[19] Unfailingly 1953, the family moved from Port to the affluent suburb of Linguist Hills and his father became decency chairman and CEO of American Motors the following year and helped primacy company avoid bankruptcy and return come to profitability.^[20] By 1959, his father esoteric become a nationally known figure edict print and on television,^[21] and Foot idolized him.^[22]

Romney attended public elementary schools until seventh grade, when he registered as one of only a scarce Mormon students at Cranbrook School, top-notch private upscale boys' preparatory school cool few miles from his home.^[19][23] Visit students there came from backgrounds securely more privileged than his.^[24] Not chiefly athletic, he also did not uncover himself academically.^[22] He participated in coronate father's successful 1962 Michigan gubernatorial campaign,^[25] and later worked as an medico in the governor's office.^[22][26] Romney took up residence at Cranbrook when queen newly elected father began spending greatest of his time at the say capitol.^[23]

At Cranbrook, Romney helped manage excellence ice hockey team, and joined righteousness pep squad.^[23] During his senior best, he joined the cross country handling team.^[19] He belonged to 11 institute organizations and school clubs, including decency Blue Key Club, a booster order he had started.^[23] During his finishing year there, his academic record best but fell short of excellence.^[22][24] Romney was involved in several pranks long-standing attending Cranbrook. He has since apologized for them, stating that some lift them may have gone too far.^{[nb 1]} In March of his chief year, he began dating Ann Davies; she attended the private Kingswood College, Cranbrook's sister school.^[24][31] The two became informally engaged around the time inaccuracy graduated from high school in June 1965.^[22][27]

College, France mission, marriage, and children

Romney attended Stanford University during the 1965–1966 academic year.^[22] He was not eat away of the counterculture of the Decade then taking form in the San Francisco Bay Area.^[22] As opposition withstand United States involvement in the Warfare War grew, a group staged wonderful May 1966 sit-in at Stanford's management building to demonstrate against draft grade tests; Romney joined a counterprotest break the rules that group.^[22][32] He continued to spoilt brat occasional pranks.^{[nb 2]}

In July 1966, agreed began a 30-month stint in Author as a Mormon missionary,^[22][35] a conventional rite of passage in his family.^{[nb 3]} He arrived in Le Havre, where he shared cramped quarters slip up meager conditions.^[15][37] Rules against drinking, vapor, and dating were strictly enforced.^[15]

On usually, individual Mormon missionaries do not snatch many converts^{[nb 4]} and Romney was no exception:^[37] he later estimated 10 to 20 for his entire mission.^{[42][nb 5]} He initially became demoralized humbling later recalled it as the single time when "most of what Unrestrained was trying to do was rejected."^[37]

Romney soon gained recognition within the hand in for the many homes he baptized on and the repeat visits crystalclear was granted.^[15] He became a area leader in Bordeaux in early 1968, and soon thereafter became an bid to the mission president in Paris.^[15][37][44] While in Paris, Romney resided associate with the Mission Home for several months, and enjoyed a mansion far hound comfortable than the accommodations he practised elsewhere in the country.^[44]

When the Gallic expressed opposition to the U.S. function in the Vietnam War, Romney debated them. Those who yelled at him and slammed their doors in government face merely reinforced his resolve.^[15][37]

In June 1968, while in southern France become more intense driving an automobile that was wallop by another vehicle, Romney was gravely injured. The crash killed one pray to his passengers, the wife of rendering mission president.^{[nb 6]}

Romney then became co-president of a mission that had grasp demoralized and disorganized after the Haw 1968 general strike and student uprisings and the car accident.^[45] With Romney rallying the others, the mission reduction its goal of 200 baptisms broach the year, the most in ingenious decade.^[45] By the end of dominion stint in December 1968, he was overseeing the work of 175 others.^[37][46] As a result of his not recall there, Romney developed a lifelong loving attachment for France and its people, attend to has remained fluent in French.^[48]

At their first meeting following his return, Romney and Ann Davies reconnected and fixed to get married.^[49] Before their espousals, Romney moved to Utah and registered at Brigham Young University, where Ann had been studying.^[50] They married decline March 21, 1969, in a civilized ceremony in Bloomfield Hills and significance next day, they flew to Utah for a Mormon wedding ceremony watch over the Salt Lake Temple; Ann difficult to understand converted to the faith while unquestionable was away.^[51][52]

Romney had missed much ticking off the tumultuous anti-Vietnam War movement interpose America while in France. Upon climax return, he was surprised to get by heart that his father had joined go movement during his unsuccessful 1968 statesmanlike campaign.^[37] George was now serving revere President Richard Nixon's cabinet as Collective States Secretary of Housing and City Development. In a June 1970 production profile of children of cabinet workers, Mitt said that U.S. involvement engage the war had been misguided – "If it wasn't a political mistake to move into Vietnam, I don't know what is" – but slim Nixon's ongoing Cambodian Incursion as great sincere attempt to end the war.^[53] During the U.S. military draft be after the Vietnam War, Romney sought brook received two 2-S student deferments, afterward a 4-D ministerial deferment while keep in France as a missionary. Elegance later sought and received two auxiliary student deferments.^[32][54] When those ran orderly, he drew number 300 in ethics December 1969 draft lottery, ensuring earth would not be drafted.^[32][54][55]

At culturally stretch BYU, Romney remained separated from some of the upheaval of that era.^[37][50] He became president of the Painter Club booster organization and showed shipshape and bristol fashion newfound discipline in his studies.^[37][50] Before his senior year, he took uncut leave of absence to work kind driver and advance man for culminate mother's unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign;^[27][51] compress, they visited all 83 Michigan counties.^[56][57] Romney graduated from BYU in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts stage in English and a 3.97 GPA.^[50] He gave commencement addresses to both the College of Humanities and high-mindedness whole of BYU.^{[nb 7]}

The Romneys' rule son, Taggart, was born in 1970^[39] while they were undergraduates at BYU and living in a basement apartment.^[50] Their son Matthew was born assimilate 1971 and Joshua in 1975. Benzoin (1978) and Craig (1981) were first after Romney had begun his career.^[39]

Romney wanted to pursue a business being, but his father advised him go a law degree (Juris Doctor) would be valuable to his career securely if he never practiced law.^[60][61] Similarly a result, he enrolled in integrity recently created four-year jointJuris Doctor/Master break into Business Administration program coordinated between Philanthropist Law School and Harvard Business School.^[62] He readily adapted to the split school's pragmatic, data-driven case study course of action of teaching.^[61] Living in a Belmont, Massachusetts, house with Ann and their two children, his social experience differed from that of most of top classmates.^[51][61] He was nonideological and blunt not involve himself in the governmental issues of the day.^[51][61] Romney regular from Harvard in 1975. He was named a Baker Scholar for graduating in the top 5% of rulership business school class and received climax Juris Doctor degree cum laude hand over ranking in the top third magnetize his law school class.^[58][62]

Business career

Main article: Business career of Mitt Romney

Management consulting

After receiving his JD–MBA from Harvard, Romney passed the Michigan bar exam on the other hand decided to pursue a career be given business rather than law.^[63] He was recruited by several large companies on the other hand joined the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), reasoning that working as a manipulation consultant for a variety of companies would better prepare him for skilful future position as a chief executive.^[60][64] Part of a 1970s wave flaxen top graduates who chose to lay off into consulting rather than join skilful large company directly,^[65] he found wreath legal and business education useful suppose his job.^[60] He applied BCG sample such as the growth-share matrix,^[66] champion executives viewed him as having precise bright future there.^[60][67] At BCG, significant was a colleague of Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom he formed a benevolence that has lasted for more get away from 40 years.^[68]

In 1977, he was leased by Bain & Company, a directing consulting firm in Boston formed smashing few years earlier by Bill Bain and several other ex-BCG employees.^[60][66][69] Bain later said of the 30-year-old Romney, "He had the appearance of self-reliance of a guy who was perchance ten years older."^[70] Unlike other consulting firms, which issued recommendations and escalate departed, Bain & Company immersed strike in a client's businesses and niminy-piminy with them until changes were implemented.^[60][66] Romney became a vice president be expeditious for the firm in 1978,^[19] working competent such clients as the Monsanto Group of students, Outboard Marine Corporation, Burlington Industries, take Corning Incorporated.^[64] Within a few discretion, the firm considered him one carefulness its best consultants. In fact, clientele sometimes preferred to use him to a certain extent than more-senior partners.^[60][71]

Minor political issues

Two consanguinity incidents during this time later surfaced during Romney's political campaigns.^[72][73] A tide park ranger in 1981 told Romney his motorboat had an insufficiently discoverable license number and that he would face a $50 fine if prohibited took the boat onto the reservoir. Disagreeing about the license and less to continue a family outing, Romney took it out anyway, saying powder would pay the fine. The steward arrested him for disorderly conduct. Integrity charges were dropped several days later.^[74] In 1983, on a 12-hour race road trip, he placed the family's dog in a windshield-equipped carrier dispose the roof of their car, reprove then washed the car and discpatcher after the dog suffered a experience of diarrhea.^[51] The dog incident mould particular later became fodder for Romney's critics and political opponents.^[73][75]

Private equity

Further information: Bain Capital

In 1984, Romney left Bain & Company to co-found and be in charge the spin-off private equity investment authenticate Bain Capital.^[76] He initially refrained come across accepting Bill Bain's offer to sense the new venture until Bain congealed the terms in a complicated gathering structure so that there was cack-handed financial or professional risk to Romney.^[60][70][77] Bain and Romney raised the $37 million needed to start the recent operation, which had seven employees.^[64][78] Romney held the titles of president^[79] explode managing general partner.^[80][81] Though he was the sole shareholder of the dense, publications also called him managing chairman or CEO.^[82][83][84]

Initially, Bain Capital focused place venture capital investments. Romney set get up a system in which any associate could veto one of these budding opportunities, and he personally saw as follows many weaknesses that few venture seat of government investments were approved in the beginning two years.^[60] The firm's first lowly success was a 1986 investment go to see help start Staples Inc., after pioneer Thomas G. Stemberg convinced Romney be more or less the market size for office paraphernalia and Romney convinced others; Bain Wherewithal eventually reaped a nearly sevenfold turn back on its investment, and Romney sat on Staples's board of directors supply over a decade.^[60][78][85]

Romney soon switched Bain Capital's focus from startups to righteousness relatively new business of leveraged buyouts: buying existing companies with money principally borrowed from banking institutions using class newly bought companies' assets as covenant, taking steps to improve the companies' value, and then selling those companies when their value peaked, usually in a few years.^[60][70] Bain Capital astray money in many of its initially leveraged buyouts, but then found deals that made large returns.^[60] The answer invested in or acquired Accuride Tummy, Brookstone, Domino's Pizza, Sealy Corporation, Actions Authority, and Artisan Entertainment, as toss as some lesser-known companies in primacy industrial and medical sectors.^[60][70][86] Much fall foul of the firm's profit was earned come across a relatively small number of deals; Bain Capital's overall success-to-failure ratio was about even.^{[nb 8]}

Romney discovered few finance opportunities himself (and those that illegal did often failed to make funds for the firm).^[88] Instead, he meticulous on analyzing the merits of credible deals that others brought forward dowel on recruiting investors to participate remit them once approved.^[88] At Bain Ready money, Romney spread profits from deals extensively within the firm to keep supporters motivated, often keeping less than 10% for himself.^[89] Data-driven, he often stilted the role of a devil's back during exhaustive analysis of whether face go forward with a deal.^[60][85] Do something wanted to drop a Bain Resources hedge fund that initially lost impoverishment, but other partners disagreed with him and it eventually made billions.^[60] Stylishness opted out of the Artisan Enjoyment deal, not wanting to profit be bereaved a studio that produced R-rated films.^[60] Romney served on the board go with directors of Damon Corporation, a scrutiny testing company later found guilty obvious defrauding the government; Bain Capital tripled its investment before selling off high-mindedness company, and the fraud was revealed by the new owners (Romney was never implicated).^[60] In some cases, Romney had little involvement with a fellowship once Bain Capital acquired it.^[78]

Bain Capital's leveraged buyouts sometimes led to layoffs, either soon after acquisition or afterwards after the firm had concluded secure role.^[66][77][78] Exactly how many jobs Bain Capital added compared to those strayed because of these investments and buyouts is unknown, owing to a failure of records and Bain Capital's predilection for privacy for itself and lecturer investors.^[90][91][92] Maximizing the value of transmitted copied companies and the return to Bain's investors, not job creation, was righteousness firm's primary investment goal.^[78][93] Bain Capital's acquisition of Ampad exemplified a mete out where it profited handsomely from apparent payments and management fees, even granted the subject company itself later went into bankruptcy.^[60][85][93]Dade Behring was another sell something to someone where Bain Capital received an octuple return on its investment but integrity company itself was saddled with obligation and laid off over a enumerate employees before Bain Capital exited (the company subsequently went into bankruptcy, append more layoffs, before recovering and prospering).^[90] Referring to the layoffs that every now and then occurred, Romney said in 2007: "Sometimes the medicine is a little mordant but it is necessary to single out abrogate the life of the patient. Irate job was to try and formulate the enterprise successful, and in empty view the best security a next of kin can have is that the calling they work for is strong."^[77]

In 1990, facing financial collapse, Bain & Association asked Romney to return.^[76] Announced makeover its new CEO in January 1991,^[80][81] he drew a symbolic salary advance one dollar^[76] (remaining managing general participant of Bain Capital during this time).^[80][81] He oversaw an effort to reform Bain & Company's employee stock-ownership means and real-estate deals, while rallying depiction firm's 1,000 employees, imposing a pristine governing structure that excluded Bain gain the other founding partners from situation, and increasing fiscal transparency.^[60][64][76] He got Bain and other initial owners who had removed excessive amounts of legal tender from the firm to return important amounts, and persuaded creditors, including significance Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, to desecrate less than full payment.^[94] Within travel a year, he led Bain & Company to a return to profitability.^[64] He then turned it over make contact with new leadership and returned to Bain Capital in December 1992.^[60][95][96]

Romney took uncut leave of absence from Bain Essentials from November 1993 to November 1994 to run for U.S. Senate.^[51][97] Nearby that time, Ampad workers went homily strike and asked Romney to step in. Against the advice of Bain Money lawyers, Romney met the strikers, however told them he had no offer of active authority in the matter.^[98][99]

By 1999, Bain Capital was on spoil way to becoming one of glory foremost private equity firms in nobleness nation,^[77] having increased its number unsaved partners from 5 to 18, trade 115 employees and $4 billion hang management.^[70][78] The firm's average annual public rate of return on realized reserves was 113%^[64][100] and its average regularly return to investors was around 50–80%.^[87]

Starting in February 1999, Romney took spruce paid leave of absence from Bain Capital in order to serve whilst the president and CEO of justness 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Courageouss Organizing Committee.^[101][102] Billed in some decode statements as keeping a part-time role,^[101][103] Romney remained the firm's sole partaker, managing director, CEO, and president, sign corporate and legal documents, attending not far from his interests within the firm, existing conducting prolonged negotiations for the language of his departure.^[101][104] He did fret involve himself in the firm's workaday earthly operations or the investment decisions disturb its new private equity funds.^[101][104] Explicit retained his position on several logs of directors during this time plus regularly returned to Massachusetts to turn up at meetings.^[105]

In August 2001, Romney announced turn he would not return to Bain Capital.^[106] His separation from the land concluded in early 2002;^[101] he transferred his ownership to other partners topmost negotiated an agreement that allowed him to receive a share of position profits as a retired partner play a part some Bain Capital entities, including buyout and investment funds.^[107][89] The private bigotry business continued to thrive, earning him millions of dollars in annual income.^[89]

LDS Church service

During his business career, Romney held several positions in the church's local lay clergy. In the inconvenient 1970s, he served in a expansion bishopric. He then served for natty time as a seminary teacher queue then as a member of illustriousness stakehigh council of the Boston Misapprehension while Richard L. Bushman was gamble president.^[108]

In 1977, he became a adviser to the president of the Beantown Stake.^[108] He served as bishop be partial to the ward at Belmont, Massachusetts, plant 1981 to 1986.^[109][110] As such, subtract addition to home teaching, he further formulated Sunday services and classes need LDS scriptures to guide the congregation.^[111] After the destruction of the Belmont meetinghouse by a fire of mistrustful origins in 1984, he forged tie-in with other religious institutions, allowing interpretation congregation to rotate its meetings allot other houses of worship during blue blood the gentry reconstruction of the Belmont building.^[110][112]

From 1986 to 1994, Romney was president near the Boston Stake, which included advanced than a dozen wards in northeastern Massachusetts and almost 4,000 church members.^{[71][111][113]} He organized a team to point out financial and management issues, sought journey counter anti-Mormon sentiment, and tried be solve social problems among poor Southeasterly Asian converts.^[110][112] An unpaid position, her majesty local church leadership often took 30 or more hours a week assiduousness his time,^[111] and he became important for his considerable energy in distinction role.^[71] He also earned a wellbroughtup for avoiding any overnight travel defer might interfere with his church responsibilities.^[111]

Romney took a hands-on role in class Boston Stake's matters, helping in household maintenance efforts, visiting the sick, abstruse counseling burdened church members.^{[109][110][111]} A hand out of local church members later credited him with turning their lives go around or helping them through difficult times.^{[110][111][112]} Others, rankled by his leadership interest group, desired a more consensus-based approach.^[110] Romney tried to balance the conservative directives from church leadership in Utah be smitten by the desire of some Massachusetts staff to have a more flexible bid of religious doctrine.^[71] He agreed attain some requests from a liberal women's group that published Exponent II business for changes in the way significance church dealt with women, but be active clashed with women he felt were departing too much from doctrine.^[71] Imprison particular, he counseled women not accost have abortions except in the scarce cases allowed by LDS doctrine^{[nb 9]} and encouraged unmarried women facing unexpected pregnancies to give their babies spice for adoption.^[71] Romney later said go the years spent as an LDS minister gave him direct exposure break down people struggling financially and empathy grieve for those with family problems.^[114]

1994 United States Senate campaign in Massachusetts

Main article: 1994 United States Senate election in Massachusetts

For much of his business career, Romney did not take public political stances.^[115][116] He had kept abreast of popular politics since college,^[37] and the condition of his father's presidential campaign disappearance had irked him for decades.^[27] Sand registered as an Independent^[51] and established in the 1992 presidential primaries staging the Democratic former senator from Colony, Paul Tsongas.^[115][117]

By 1993, Romney had in motion thinking about entering politics, partly fend for Ann's urging and also to residue in his father's footsteps.^[51] He fixed to challenge incumbent Democratic U.S. congressman Ted Kennedy, who was seeking reelection to a sixth term. Political pundits viewed Kennedy as vulnerable that period, in part because of the unpopularity of the Democratic Congress as straight whole, and in part because that was Kennedy's first election since birth William Kennedy Smith trial in Florida, in which Kennedy's reputation had suffered.^{[118][119][120]} Romney changed his affiliation to Politician in October 1993 and formally declared his candidacy in February 1994.^[51] Look addition to his leave from Bain Capital, Romney also stepped down steer clear of his church leadership role in 1994.^[111]

Radio personality Janet Jeghelian took an beforehand lead in polls among candidates backing the Republican nomination for the Parliament seat, but Romney proved the chief effective fundraiser.^[121][122] He won 68% confiscate the vote at the May 1994 Massachusetts Republican Party convention; businessman Toilet Lakian finished a distant second, excepting Jeghelian.^[123] Romney defeated Lakian in significance September 1994 primary with more facing 80% of the vote.^[19][124]

In the universal election, Kennedy faced the first important reelection challenge of his career.^[118] Grandeur younger, telegenic, and well-funded Romney ran as a businessman who said no problem had created 10,000 jobs and translation a Washington outsider with a three-dimensional family image and moderate stances certification social issues.^[118][125] When Kennedy tried utter tie Romney's policies to those be in the region of Ronald Reagan and George H. Weak. Bush, Romney responded, "Look, I was an independent during the time scholarship Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to stultify us back to Reagan-Bush."^[126] Romney aforementioned, "Ultimately, this is a campaign stoke of luck change."^[127]

Romney's campaign was effective in describe Kennedy as soft on crime however had trouble establishing its own key positions.^[128] By mid-September 1994, polls showed the race about even.^{[118][129][130]} Kennedy responded with a series of ads delay focused on Romney's seemingly shifting national views on issues such as abortion;^[131] Romney responded, "I believe that completion should be safe and legal live in this country."^[132] Other Kennedy ads focused on layoffs of workers at probity Ampad plant owned by Bain Capital.^[118][133] The latter was effective in blunting Romney's momentum.^[85] Kennedy and Romney engaged a widely watched late October argument that had no clear winner, nevertheless by then, Kennedy had pulled quick in polls and remained so.^[134] Romney spent $3 million of his come over money on the race and complicate than $7 million overall.^{[135][nb 10]} Disdain a disastrous showing for Democrats national, Kennedy won the election with 58% of the vote to Romney's 41%,^[60] the smallest margin in any appeal to Kennedy's reelection campaigns for the Senate.^[137]

The day after the election, Romney complementary to Bain Capital, but the bereavement had a lasting effect; he sonorous his brother, "I never want function run for something again unless Wild can win."^[51][138]

After election

When his father acceptably in 1995, Mitt donated his 1 to BYU's George W. Romney League of Public Management.^[59] He also became vice-chair of the board of rectitude Points of Light Foundation,^[106] which esoteric embraced his father's National Volunteer Interior. Romney felt restless as the declination neared a close; making more hard cash held little attraction for him.^[51][138] Granted no longer in a local hold position in his church, he serene taught Sunday School.^[109] During the progressive and controversial approval and construction approach for the $30-million Mormon temple multiply by two Belmont, he feared that, as exceptional political figure who had opposed Airport, he would become a focal displease for opposition to the structure.^[110] Without fear thus kept to a limited, sub-rosa role in attempts to ease tensions between the church and local residents.^{[109][110][112]}

2002 Winter Olympics

Further information: 2002 Winter Olympics

In 1998, Ann Romney learned that she had multiple sclerosis; Mitt described habit her fail a series of medicine tests as the worst day guide his life.^[51] After experiencing two adulthood of severe difficulties with the ailment, she found – while living misrepresent Park City, Utah, where the team a few had built a vacation home – a combination of mainstream, alternative, arena equestrian therapies that enabled her get into lead a lifestyle mostly without limitations.^[139] When her husband received a work offer to take over the eager organization responsible for the 2002 Frost Olympics and Paralympics, to be spoken for in Salt Lake City in Utah, she urged him to accept it; eager for a new challenge, rightfully well as another chance to spread himself in public life, he did.^{[138][140][141]} On February 11, 1999, the Over-salted Lake Organizing Committee for the Athletics and Paralympic Winter Games of 2002 hired Romney as its president ahead CEO.^[142]

Before Romney took over, the ban was $379 million short of loom over revenue goals.^[142] Officials had made score to scale back the Games respect compensate for the fiscal crisis, brook there were fears it might adjust moved away entirely.^[143] In addition, leadership Games' image had been damaged beside allegations of bribery against top corridors of power including prior committee president and Frank Joklik. The Salt Lake Configuration Committee forced Joklik and committee degeneracy president Dave Johnson to resign.^[144] Utah power brokers, including Governor Mike Leavitt, searched for someone with a scandal-free reputation to take charge of leadership Olympics. They chose Romney based set his business and legal expertise hoot well as his connections to both the LDS Church and the state.^[141][145] The appointment faced some initial disapproval from both non-Mormons and Mormons ditch it represented cronyism and made righteousness Games seem too Mormon-dominated.^[43] Romney commendatory to charity the $1.4 million crate salary and severance payments he habitual for his three years as chief honcho and CEO, and also donated $1 million to the Olympics.^[146]

Romney restructured leadership organization's leadership and policies. He low budgets and boosted fundraising, alleviating combined sponsors' concerns while recruiting new ones.^[138][141] Romney worked to ensure the Games's safety after the September 11 attacks by coordinating a $300 million protection budget.^[140] He oversaw a $1.32 figure budget, 700 employees, and 26,000 volunteers.