Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, 65, was born in Detroit to Lenore and George Romney, both politicians. Romney was raised in the Bloomfield Hills, Mich. area.
He began his education at Roosevelt Elementary School in Detroit. He attended an all-boys private school, Cranbrook Academy, starting in seventh grade. During this time, he was the manager for the school hockey team as well as a member of the cross-country team and pep squad.
After graduating high school in 1965, he enrolled in Stanford University. However, he left the school to pursue Mormon missionary work on behalf of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Traveling to France, he spent the next two and half years cycling across the country promoting his faith.
In April 1965, Romney listed with the Selective Service but was not considered eligible for military service until December 1970. When he became qualified, he drew a high number in the annual draft lottery, but at that time no one drawing higher than 195 was drafted.
Romney married Ann Davies on March 21, 1969 in a civil ceremony in Bloomfield Hills. Together, the two have five sons. The day after their marriage, the newlyweds flew to Utah for a Mormon Ceremony at the Salt Lake Temple.
By 1971, Romney had earned a Bachelor of Arts from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. In 1975, he gained a Joint Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from Harvard University.
Entering the management consulting industry, he was noted to have helped lead Bain & Company out of crisis while serving as its chief executive officer.
Romney, who had been actively involved in his parent’s political ventures, ran as Republican candidate for the 1994 Massachusetts election for U.S. Senate. He lost to Ted Kennedy, but in 2002 decided to relaunch his political career. He was elected governor of Massachusetts in the same year and led the state from 2003-07.
While governor, Romney helped develop the state’s health care reform. The plan provided near-universal health coverage access through state-level subsidizations and a single mandate to obtain insurance.
Romney did not seek re-election in 2006, deciding instead to focus on being a candidate for the 2008 presidential election. Although he won several primaries and caucuses, Romney lost to John McCain.
In 2011, he began campaigning for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. Winning the nomination, he chose Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate.
Romney is pro-life and opposed to abortion unless it involves cases of rape, incest or if the mother’s life is in danger.
Regarding the war in Afghanistan, he would like to see U.S. troops come home in a swift, timely manner, but he wants to consider the opinions of military leaders to ensure whether it’s a good move.
Romney is in favor of capital punishment and is an advocate of the Patriot Act. He supports intense interrogation of suspects, especially accused terrorists, but doesn’t condone torture.
Romney’s economic plan for the country consists of reducing the corporate income tax rate to 25 percent, the Open Markets Act, which implements free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Koreas, and boosting domestic energy production.
He said dealings with foreign affairs should consist of making America a more competitive economy and opening up the country’s market more by reducing tariffs. He is also a proponent of saving Social Security for eligible recipients.
Romney supports reforming the country’s education system.
Romney is in approval of the Second Amendment and, although he is against amnesty, is a proponent of legal immigration to the U.S. for those seeking to follow the American dream.
Romney vetoed a Massachusetts bill to fund stem-cell research because the “legislation allowed such cloning of human embryos.”
He signed off on a substantial increase in funding for the developments for urban and downtown areas.
Romney was the first governor of Massachusetts to appoint a Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs to his cabinet. He used the same Bible to be sworn in as governor of Massachusetts that his father used years before at his swearing in as governor of Michigan.
