The challenger
Biography of Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney's political career has been brief: After an unsuccessful race against Ted Kennedy for U.S. Senate in 1994, he won his bid for governor of Massachusetts in 2002 and served one term. He used $6.3 million of his own money during the campaign, defeating Democrat Shannon O'Brien in the general election.
With a short political résumé, Mitt Romney draws on his business experience and his role on the 2002 Olympic Games committee as proof of his ability to run the nation.
After graduating from Harvard, Romney began his business career with the Boston Consulting Group in 1974, and went on to become vice president of another Boston-based consulting firm, Bain & Company, Inc. In 1984, he co-founded Bain Capital, a private equity investment firm. He headed the company for 14 years, investing in or buying well known companies such as Staples, Brookstone, Domino's, and Sports Authority. He and his wife have accrued a net worth of between $190 and $250 million.
Romney was brought in as the president and CEO of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games in 1999 to rescue the games from fiscal crisis. He overhauled the committee's leadership strategy and policies, reduced budgets, and increased fundraising. He also coordinated a $300 million security budget to ensure safety at the Games in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
