Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Mitt Romney

A candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 Washington General Election

Party: Republican

Age: 77

City: Boston, MA

Occupation: Venture capitalist; former Massachussetts governor

After a protracted primary battle, Romney won enough delegates to secure the nomination with a May 29 primary victory in Texas. Romney is the son of George Romney, an auto executive who became Michigan’s governor and made an unsuccessful White House run in 1968. The younger Romney says he is committed to seeing someone in the 2012 race “who understands the economy.” Romney has worked in the private sector for much of his career.

He served a single term as governor of Massachusetts, during which he worked with a Democratic legislature. He passed a statewide health insurance overhaul that President Barack Obama has called a model for his own national health care plan.

He has proven to be a fundraising powerhouse who survived a strong initial challenge from Rick Perry, then a surging Newt Gingrich, then a persistent Rick Santorum, only to watch his rivals flame out while he steadily won state contests.

Romney has already made one run for the White House, losing the 2008 GOP nomination to Sen. John McCain.

He has changed his views on issues vital to many conservatives, including abortion rights, gay rights and embryonic stem-cell research. Conservatives following the presidential race have still not settled on Romney, expressing preferences for candidates they see as being farther to the right.

He has been married for more than 40 years and has has five sons and 16 grandchildren.

Contact information

Race Results

Washington vote totals in the national election

Candidate Votes Pct
Barack Obama (D) 1,620,432 55.85%
Mitt Romney (R) 1,210,369 41.72%
Gary Johnson (L) 37,732 1.30%
Jill Stein (G) 18,316 0.63%
Virgil Goode (C) 8,071 0.28%
Rocky Anderson (J) 4,332 0.15%
Peta Lindsay (S) 1,148 0.04%
James Harris (S) 1,099 0.04%

Details & headlines

Related Coverage

Spin Control: Libertarian Party says GOP shouldn’t be on fall ballot

OLYMPIA – A political party wants to keep Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan off Washington’s Nov. 6 general election ballot. And it’s not the Democratic Party. The Libertarian Party of Washington argues in a lawsuit filed last week in Thurston County Superior Court that the GOP, like the LPWA, is not a “major party” under state law but a “minor party.” This isn’t a case of the parties comparing various parts of their anatomy, but a distinction in the law that decides how candidates for president make it on the ballot.

Today’s fun video: Stewart smacks Harry Reid

None

Romney comments at fundraiser outrage Palestinians

JERUSALEM — Mitt Romney told Jewish donors today that their culture is part of what has allowed them to be more economically successful than the Palestinians, outraging Palestinian leaders who suggested his comments were racist and out of touch with the realities of the Middle East. His campaign later said his remarks were mischaracterized.

Today’s fun video: Romney is his hero

None

Today’s fun Web site: Obama or Romney?

None

Romney faces NAACP, booed for hitting ’Obamacare’

HOUSTON — Unflinching before the NAACP, Mitt Romney declared today he’d do more for African-Americans than Barack Obama, the nation’s first black president. He drew jeers when he lambasted the Democrat’s policies.

GOP plots 2013 strategy on health care repeal

WASHINGTON — Turned away at the Supreme Court, congressional Republicans sketched a strategy today to repeal the nation’s health care law in 2013 that requires a sweeping election victory carrying Mitt Romney to the presidency and the party at least to narrow control of the Senate.

Obama win could cost Romney $5M in personal taxes

To see where the presidential candidates stand on taxing the rich, just look at how they’d tax themselves. Under his own proposal, Mitt Romney would pay half what he would under President Barack Obama’s tax plan. For a man of Romney’s means, that could save almost $5 million a year.

GOP spends one hour talking about 15 seconds

TACOMA – An axiom of academic politics is that they tend to be very nasty because very little is at stake. The axiom can sometimes be applied to partisan or “real” politics, particularly at a time like this, when one major party is trying to get its president re-elected and the other has a nominee with all the delegates he needs to be the nominee. Why, then, would sensible people give up their weekends, travel scores or hundreds of miles, and argue over seemingly minute changes in obscure rules, like Saturday morning’s debate on whether would-be delegates to the national convention should speak for 30 seconds or 15 seconds when making the pitch to fellow partisans that they should have the privilege of traveling to Tampa, paying exorbitant rates for meals and hotel rooms?