Mitt Romney 2012 presidential campaign

Mitt Romney for President 2012
File:Romney.png
Campaign	U.S. presidential election, 2012
Candidate	Mitt Romney Former Governor of Massachusetts
Affiliation	Republican Party
Headquarters	Boston, Massachusetts
Key people	Matt Rhoades (Manager) Beth Myers, Peter Flaherty, and Eric Fehrnstrom (Advisors) Stuart Stevens (Strategist) Rich Beeson (Political Director) Gail Gitcho (Communications Director) Andrea Saul (Press secretary) Spencer Zwick (Finance chair)
Receipts	US$18.5 million (as of June 2,011)
Slogan	Believe in America
Website
Mitt Romney 2012

The Mitt Romney 2012 presidential campaign began informally shortly after the 2008 presidential election. Having campaigned for the Republican nomination in 2008, the former Governor of Massachusetts was frequently mentioned as a possible candidate for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for U.S. president.

Romney stopped short of a full-fledged candidacy until the beginning of 2011. Romney filed his organization with the Federal Elections Commission as an exploratory committee, and announced the organization in a video message on April 11, 2011. He officially announced his candidacy in Stratham, New Hampshire on June 2, 2011.

Background

Romney ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, winning several primary and caucus contests but losing to John S. McCain III.

After the 2008 election, Romney paved the way for a possible 2012 presidential campaign by keeping much of his PAC's money to underwrite salaries and consulting fees for his existing political staff and to build up a political infrastructure for what might become a $1 billion campaign three years hence. He also had a nationwide network of former staff and supporters eager for him to run again. He continued to give speeches and raise campaign funds on behalf of fellow Republicans.

Polls of various kinds showed Romney remaining in the forefront of possible 2012 presidential contenders. In nationwide opinion polling for the 2012 Republican presidential primaries, he has often led polls or been in the top three along with Sarah Palin and Huckabee neither of whom is necessarily running for the office. He finished first in the CPAC straw poll in 2009 and second in 2010 and 2011, won the Southern Republican Leadership Conference straw poll in 2010, and won the New Hampshire Straw Poll in 2011.

Campaign developments

Romney speaks with patrons at a Senate Coney Island Restaurant in Livonia, Michigan during a campaign stop, June 9, 2011.

Exploratory committee

After a slower start to the presidential campaign by all contenders than four years previous, on April 11, 2011, Mitt Romney announced by means of a video recorded that day at an athletics field at the University of New Hampshire that he had formed an exploratory committee as a first step for a potential run for a Republican presidential campaign, saying, "It is time that we put America back on a course of greatness, with a growing economy, good jobs and fiscal discipline in Washington."

Romney also unveiled his new presidential campaign logo and slogan, "Believe in America". The logo was criticized for bearing too much resemblance to the logo for the toothpaste Aquafresh, and the slogan was criticized for being the same as fellow Massachusetts politician John Kerry in his 2004 presidential campaign.

Formal announcement

Romney formally announced his candidacy for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination at an outdoor gathering in Stratham, New Hampshire on June 2, 2011. In his announcement speech, he pledged to make the U.S. economy the main focus of his campaign, saying "My number one job will to see that America is number one in job creation."

Fundraising

On May 16, 2011, the Romney campaign announced that it had raised $10.25 million "in connection with today's call day fundraiser in Nevada." This was hailed in the media as "an impressive one day total." Thereafter, however, the Los Angeles Times reported that "the amount actually represented pledges gathered earlier and tallied that day, not just funds actually taken in by the campaign." Later, it was discovered that Romney had actually raised $2.403 million on May 16, about a quarter of the claimed amount.

For the entire second quarter, the campaign expected to raise only about $20 million, less than the $44 million raised in that period in 2007 but still more than any of the other Republican candidates. Romney's campaign raised $18.5 million by the end of June, $14 million more than Ron Paul, who came 2nd in funding amongst Republican candidates.

Endorsements

Romney has received endorsements from:

External links

• Mitt Romney 2012 official campaign website
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Template:GovLinks
• Campaign Contributions made by Mitt Romney at NewsMeat
• Press releases as Governor of Massachusetts 2003–2007
• The Making of Mitt Romney, Boston Globe, 2007, 7-part series
• Romney and health care: In the thick of history, Boston Globe, 2011, first of a series
• Mitt Romney; et al. (September 1, 2011), Believe in America: Mitt Romney's Plan for Jobs and Economic Growth (PDF), Romney for President, Inc., ASIN B005LEY5Q0 {{citation}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)