Mitt Romney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mitt Romney
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Official portrait, 2019
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| United States Senator from Utah |
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| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Orrin Hatch |
| Succeeded by | John Curtis |
| 70th Governor of Massachusetts | |
| In office January 2, 2003 – January 4, 2007 |
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| Lieutenant | Kerry Healey |
| Preceded by | Jane Swift (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Deval Patrick |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Willard Mitt Romney
March 12, 1947 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (1993–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Independent (before 1993) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5, including Tagg |
| Parents | George W. Romney Lenore LaFount |
| Relatives | Romney family |
| Education | |
| Awards | List of honors and awards |
| Signature |  |
Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and politician. He served as a U.S. Senator for Utah from 2019 to 2025. Before that, he was the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. He was also the Republican Party's choice for president in the 2012 U.S. presidential election.
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Early Life and School Years
Willard Mitt Romney was born on March 12, 1947, in Detroit, Michigan. He was one of four children. His father, George W. Romney, was a car company executive. His mother, Lenore Romney, was a former actress. Mitt's family had mostly English roots. They also had some Scottish and German ancestors.
Mitt was the youngest of his siblings. His parents named him after a family friend, J. Willard Marriott, and his father's cousin, Milton "Mitt" Romney. Milton was a football player. Mitt was called "Billy" until kindergarten. Then he decided he liked "Mitt" better. In 1953, his family moved to Bloomfield Hills. His father became the head of American Motors and helped the company succeed. By 1959, his father was well-known, and Mitt looked up to him.
Romney went to public elementary schools until seventh grade. Then he went to Cranbrook School, a private school for boys. He was one of the few Mormon students there. He helped with the ice hockey team and joined the pep squad. In his last year, he joined the cross country running team. He was part of many school groups. His grades got better, but he was not a top student. In March 1965, he started dating Ann Davies. They got engaged around the time he finished high school.
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In 1971, Romney earned a degree in English from Brigham Young University (BYU). In 1975, he received two degrees from Harvard: a law degree and a business degree.
Mitt Romney's Career Journey
After college, Romney worked as a business advisor. In 1977, he joined Bain & Company in Boston. He became the CEO and helped the company through tough financial times. In 1984, he helped start Bain Capital. This company invests in other businesses. It became one of the biggest of its kind.
Romney then ran for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts in 1994. He lost to Ted Kennedy. Later, he became the head of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics. He helped make the Olympics a success. This helped him restart his political career.
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In 2002, he was elected governor of Massachusetts. As governor, he helped create a health care law. This law helped almost everyone in the state get health insurance. He also fixed a large budget problem by cutting spending and closing tax loopholes. He did not run for governor again in 2006. Instead, he focused on running for president in 2008. He lost the Republican nomination to John McCain.
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Romney ran for president again in 2012. He won the Republican nomination. He was the first member of the LDS Church to be a major party's presidential nominee. However, he lost the election to President Barack Obama.
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After the presidential election, Romney moved to Utah. In 2018, he ran for the U.S. Senate seat. He won the election and became a Senator for Utah. This made him one of only three people to be elected governor of one state and U.S. Senator for another.
In 2020, Romney was the only Republican to vote to remove Donald Trump from office during his first impeachment trial. This was a historic vote. He also voted to remove Trump in his second trial in 2021. Romney supported some gun control measures. He also did not vote for Trump in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. In 2023, he announced he would not run for reelection in 2024. He retired from the Senate in 2025.
Personal Life
Romney married Ann Davies in 1969. They have five sons together.
Political Beliefs and Stances
Romney believed in cutting government spending. He wanted to reduce the national debt. He also suggested changes to programs like Social Security and Medicare. These changes would limit their growth. He supported increasing military spending. He also wanted to invest more in military weapons.
Romney wanted to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare." He wanted to replace it with a system that gave states more control. He also wanted to change some financial laws. He aimed to make them simpler.
He proposed changes to income tax laws. He said these changes would help the economy grow. He wanted to lower income tax rates for everyone. He also wanted to cut taxes on investments. He aimed to remove the estate tax and the Alternative Minimum Tax. He said these tax cuts would be paid for by closing tax loopholes.
Romney did not support mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions. He believed climate change was happening. However, he was unsure how much humans caused it. He supported more oil drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking). He also wanted more nuclear power plants. He believed the U.S. could become energy independent by 2020.
Romney once called Russia America's "number one geopolitical foe." He believed stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons was a top priority. He strongly supported Israel. He also wanted to label China a "currency manipulator" if it did not change its trade practices.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Mitt Romney has received several awards and honorary degrees.
Honorary Degrees
He received special degrees from different universities:
- 1999 - University of Utah (Doctorate of Business)
- 2002 - Bentley College (Doctor of Law)
- 2004 - Suffolk University Law School (Doctor of Public Administration)
- 2007 - Hillsdale College (Doctorate in Public Service)
- 2012 - Liberty University (Doctor of Humanities)
- 2013 - Southern Virginia University (Honorary Doctorate)
- 2015 - Jacksonville University (Honorary Doctorate)
- 2015 - Utah Valley University (Doctorate of Business)
- 2015 - Saint Anselm College (Honorary Doctorate)
Other Awards
In 2002, People magazine named Romney one of the "50 Most Beautiful People." In 2004, he received the first Truce Ideal Award for promoting peace. Cranbrook School gave him its Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005. In 2008, he and his wife Ann received the Canterbury Medal. This was for staying true to their beliefs during his presidential campaign. In 2012, Time magazine included him in their "List of The 100 Most Influential People in the World."
In 2021, Romney received the Profile in Courage Award. This was for being the only Republican to vote to convict Donald Trump in his first impeachment trial.
Images for kids
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Mitt Romney's signature
See also
In Spanish: Mitt Romney para niños
- List of governors of Massachusetts
- List of United States senators from Utah
- List of United States Republican Party presidential tickets
- President of the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games
