Mitt Romney

U.S. Presidential Candidate
Vice Presidential Candidate: Paul Ryan

Romney, 65, was governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007, presiding over a legislature dominated by Democratic representatives. The unemployment rate in Massachusetts fell from 5.6% to 4.7% during his tenure.

Before serving in government, Romney was a business leader. He was CEO of consulting firm Bain & Company and founded and led Bain Capital, a private investment firm specializing in launching and salvaging businesses. Romney was chief executive of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Romney’s “Plan for a Stronger Middle Class” includes achieving energy independence, increasing skills and jobs training and access to education, building trade and strengthening free enterprise, cutting the deficit, and championing small business through reduced taxes and regulation and replacement of the Affordable Care Act with “real health reform that controls cost and improves care,” according to mittromney.com.  

Romney supports increasing the resources of the military and building missile defense. He plans to reform veterans affairs policies and supports the protection of Israel and the building of a “democratic, prosperous Palestinian state living side by side in peace wand security” with Israel. He supports building stronger ties with Iraqi leaders, and preserving democratic ideals in the Middle East in the wake of the Arab Spring.

Romney’s plan includes preserving and strengthening Medicare and Social Security and would make a 20 percent cut in marginal tax rates, eliminate the Death Tax, repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax, and Eliminate taxes for taxpayers with AGI below 200,000 on interest, dividends, and capital gains. He would plan to cap federal spending at 20 percent of gross domestic product. His overarching plan is to create “simpler, smaller, smarter government.”

— Claire Wiseman