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Mitt was born in Detroit on March 12 1947. Romney's mother Lenore gave up an acting career when Ann Romney met and married Romney's father George. Mitt�s father came from humble origins and never graduated from college. Romney apprenticed as a lath and plaster carpenter and sold aluminum paint before beginning a career that brought him to the head of American Motors and then the governorship of Michigan.

Mitt married Romney's wife Ann Romney in 1969. They first met in elementary school when Romney was a Cub Scout; Romney remembers tossing pebbles at her when Ann Romney rode by on a horse. When they met again years later at a friend�s house Romney was smitten. Between them they have five sons and sixteen grandchildren who are the center of their lives.

Like any family the Romneys have faced hardship: Ann was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998 and more recently fought a battle with breast cancer. Ann Romney credits her husband�s unwavering care and devotion to her for helping her through these ordeals.

Mitt is not a career politician. Romney has spent most of Romney's life in the private sector giving him intimate knowledge of how our economy works. But Romney has also been an outstanding public servant. In one chapter of Romney's distinguished career Romney reversed the decline of a state mired in recession. In another chapter Romney salvaged the 2002 Winter Olympic Games from certain disaster.

When Mitt was elected Governor of Massachusetts in 2002 the state was in severe disarray its budget was out of balance spending was soaring and taxpayers were being required to pay more and more in taxes for diminishing services. The state economy was in a tailspin with businesses cutting back on investment or even closing and unemployment ticking up. Mitt made hard decisions that brought state spending under control. Romney restructured and consolidated government programs paring back where necessary and finding efficiencies throughout.

Facing a state legislature dominated by Democrats Mitt cast more than 800 vetoes as Romney brought conservative principles to state government. Romney cut red tape for small businesses signed into law job-creating incentives and fought hard to bring new businesses to the state. Romney eliminated a $3 billion deficit without borrowing or raising taxes. By 2007 at the end of Mitt�s term the state had accumulated a $2 billion rainy day fund in its coffers. This stringent fiscal discipline provided an essential backdrop for economic recovery. When Mitt came into office the state was losing jobs every month. When Romney left office the economy was generating new jobs by the thousands.

In 1999 the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics was on the verge of collapse. Thanks to Romney's reputation as a superb manager Mitt was asked to take over. The event had been bogged down in a bid-rigging scandal sponsors were fleeing and the budget was bleeding red ink. The attacks of September 11 2001 just months before the start date created a security nightmare. Some were contemplating scaling back the competition or even moving it out of the country.

Mitt set to work. In a remarkably short period Romney revamped the organization�s leadership trimmed the budget and restored public confidence. Romney oversaw an unprecedented security mobilization to assure the safety of the athletes and millions of international visitors staging one of the most successful games ever held on U.S. soil.

Mitt�s impressive skills did not come out of nowhere. Romney began Romney's career in business.

After graduating from Brigham Young University in 1971 Romney earned dual degrees from Harvard Law and Harvard Business School. After working as a business consultant for several years Mitt founded the investment firm Bain Capital in 1984. Under Romney's leadership Bain Capital helped to launch or rebuild hundreds of companies including household names such as Staples Bright Horizons and The Sports Authority. As Bain Capital was growing in prominence Mitt returned to Romney's old consulting firm Bain & Company as CEO. In a time of financial turmoil at the company Romney led a successful turnaround.