Mitt Romney

NYPress.com

Willard Mitt Romney, 60, is a former moderate Republican who says he grew more conservative the longer he served as Massachusetts governor. Romney served one term as governor and is a former CEO of a management consulting firm. He has proved himself to be a prodigious fund-raiser and his stock continues to rise as he becomes more conservative with each passing day.

Political Views
Like McCain, Romney believes abortion should be illegal except in the case of rape, incest and when the pregnancy threatens the life of the mother. This is a far cry from his original pro-choice positions from earlier in his career. During a Nov. 28, 2007 Republican debate, Romney said his previous view on abortion was "a mistake."

Like his position on abortion, Romney has flipped on his views of same-sex marriage and civil unions. Earlier in his career, Romney was supportive of benefits for domestic partnerships. As recently as his run for governor in 2002, he opposed banning same-sex marriages. In 2006, however, he backed the Federal Marriage Protection Amendment, which would have defined a marriage as being between one man and one woman.

Romney is not opposed to using embryonic stem cells for research purposes, but he does oppose using federal funds to further that research. During his run for governor, Romney said he would petition President Bush to allow stem cell research. Since declaring his bid for president, however, he has once again renounced his former beliefs.

Romney has remained relatively consistent on the gun-control issue, but has grown more conservative the closer he became to running for president. He supported the Brady Bill in 1994, which has since been enacted and calls for a five-day waiting period and a background check for anyone wishing to purchase a firearm. He recently joined the NRA, however ... even though he doesn't own a gun.

Personal
Romney is married to Ann Romney. The couple has five children and belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Romney has a legal degree from Brigham Young University, but is a consultant by profession.

Career Highlights
As CEO in 1990, Romney steered the Bain & Company consulting firm back from the brink of financial meltdown, earning hiim high praise and political fortune. He ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 1994, winning the GOP nomination but failing to beat Sen. Ted Kennedy. Romney won the governorship in 2002 and served from 2003 to 2007.