Romney to announce candidacy for president in New Hampshire
(CNN)–Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will formally announce his intentions to seek the GOP nomination for president in 2012 next Thursday, a campaign spokesperson tells CNN.
And the soon-to-be-announced candidate confirmed it himself on Twitter late Wednesday.
“Making it official next week at the Scamman Farm in New Hampshire,” he tweeted.
New Hampshire is a critical state for Romney, who also announced his presidential exploratory committee in April from the first-in-the-nation primary state.
He suffered a loss there during his previous run for president in 2008 to John McCain, who went on to win the Republican presidential nomination. But he’s banking on a boost from the crucial state to propel him through the primary season.
Romney tops a new Gallup poll of the GOP presidential field with 17 percent of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents saying they would support him for their party's nomination–more than any other candidate. It is the first poll conducted since former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and real estate mogul Donald Trump announced they would not seek the nomination.
And when it comes to cash, Romney’s campaign received significant support when it hauled in $10.25 million at a day-long phone bank fundraising event in Las Vegas. Approximately 800 participants in the eight-hour "Call Day" phoned donors across the country.
But he’s faced open criticism from colleagues in the GOP and already-announced candidates for the statewide health care plan ushered in during his tenure as governor of Massachusetts. Romney’s plan has largely been credited as the precursor to health care reform implemented by the Obama administration—a fact the president continues to trumpet.
And a recent speech the businessman gave to outline the differences between his plan as governor, federal health care reform, and what he would do if he were president appeared to do little to silence his critics.
Romney will get the chance to further hone his message Friday, June 3, when he addresses the Faith and Freedom Conference and Strategy Briefing, a cattle-call for presidential hopefuls held in Washington, D.C. It is hosted by Ralph Reed, the founder of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, and billed as the “top destination for conservative activists who want to learn how to beat the Left.”
When he announces his candidacy, Romney will join former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, businessman Herman Cain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson as official candidates for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.
Is this the best OUR country can do? We're doomed. Where are the men of leadership integrity?
So, this is another anti-climatic candidate. We've know that he and others were going to run. The only surprises were Daniels and Huckabee when they said that they weren't running.
Why is he avoiding MA .. we are his baby. We have state run Health Care because Romney belives in Universal Health Care... Daddy .. why do you avoid us.
I lived in MA during Mitt Romney's tenure as Governor. He is the right person for US president. Here's why: He does not let his (deep and abiding) personal religious convictions overpower his considerable intelligence and leadership telents. He is effective. He does what needs to be done. He understands how to lead and to govern in a representative democracy. He does not get bogged down by the incendiary bullcrap being constantly generated by the far right and far left. In all of this he surprised me. I did not intend to be impressed by him as Governor, but I was.
You lost the last time and you will lose again so why waste your time. Save us from misery. if you do get the node good luck beating the president.
oh ,mitt my republican superhero when will ever learn, the game for you is over.
Oh joy, someone who will change his views 180 degrees just to be loved by conservatives. But he will never flip flop again, right?
The announcement for the announcement. Wonderful.
Attention GOP, please- please! A Mitt and Sarah or (Michelle Bachman) ticket in Nov 2012 – ensuring a 2nd term for President Obama! And wouldn't we Liberal-Socialist-Kenyan law (blah blah blah) followers love to watch those debates! SNL wouldn't have to write anything that week – just replay the debate between Michelle and Joe Biden!
How can anyone allow Romney to be a candidate after he lied about his hunting experience? I would say this about a candidate regardless of party....he does not deserve one second of America's consideration for any office. His willingness to lie about hunting tells us everything we need to know about him. Does the Republican party not have someone more deserving of our consideration? I ask this as a lifetime Democrat.
Save us. Let's hire a guy to run the nation so he can create "Big Dig's" around the country so he can shuffle millions to friends and business partners. More corruption and embezzlement. Does Cheney and Halaburton ring a bell to anyone? Ask anyone from Massachusetts why they won't vote this typical GOP crony.
Romney's the one !
The only one who can save America from the Fiscal mess we are in. We can not afford$ to Stay-the-course with Obama in 2012.......
Romney has tremendous cross-functional experience in the public, private, and non-profits sectors of our economy. He's a solid Fiscal Conservative who balanced his State's budget all four years without raising taxes and left the State with a $2 billion dollar Rainy Day fund..........not bad ..........not bad at all.
Romney/Rubio............."time to really fix America"
Romney was the worst Governor we have ever had in Massachusetts. He worked as Gov for 2 years, hired a huge PR staff and went on the campaign trail He also left a huge deficit hidden in false cuts during his last days all of which had to be restored immediately. But he did give us Romneycare!!
Romdey don't believe the hype. You will not be the president of the US.
Romney's economic background at Bain Capital: Provide the structure, organization, brain power and planning for scores of new companies that provided hundreds of thousands of jobs for Americans who paid collectively billions of dollars in federal, state and local taxes, payroll taxes, property taxes and sales taxes to fund the very social programs liberals claim to love.
Obama's economic background as a community organizer
There is one HUGE difference between RomneyCare and ObamaCare: RomneyCare was done at the state level, as it should be done. MA figured out, given their economy, their budget, their needs, their concerns, their priorities, their people, what MA should do. Didn't have the FED tell them what was best for them. Let each state do the same.