Mitt Romney was born in Michigan to wealthy parents. As a child, he was “skinny and good-looking” and “carried himself with a kind of rich-kid carelessness” (21). He met his wife, Ann, when they were in high school. He was a prankster who was not afraid to get into trouble because he knew his dad would bail him out—an attitude that he would later regret. He attended Stanford but left to embark upon his Mormon mission in Normandy, France, where he lived in less than luxurious conditions for the first time in his life. He often felt frustrated by the day-to-day experiences of mission life.

During his mission, he was in a traumatic car accident that led to the death of one of his passengers. This marked a major turning point for him, after which he became a more serious person. Three months after returning to the US, he married Ann and transferred to BYU, where he majored in English. Though he was initially interested in academia, he desired financial stability, and earned his dual JD/MBA from Harvard. The Romneys started a family and had five boys over the course of 11 years.

After leaving Harvard, he became a blue-chip consultant at Boston Consulting Group and Bain & Company. Mitt’s personal fortune expanded greatly as he tackled challenging, high-paying roles. He frequently found himself forced to compromise his ideals in search of profit, which sometimes resulted in people getting laid off.

He had always dreamed of following his father’s footsteps into politics, and in 1993 he attempted to challenge Ted Kennedy for his Senate seat in Massachusetts. Though he was unsuccessful, he was later elected Governor of Massachusetts in 2002. His tenure as Governor was largely successful and established him as a moderate who could work with both sides of the aisle; though he was a Republican, he banned assault rifles and passed universal healthcare. His successful gubernatorial run led to his selection as the CEO of 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. This catapulted his political career, and though he lost the 2008 primary, he was selected as the Republican candidate for the 2012 election. Both elections demonstrated serious liabilities, as his massive wealth and privileged background, along with his moderate policy stances and Mormon faith, made him appear unrelatable to many GOP voters. He maintained his political moderation as many in his party turned to extremism, and he gained the approval of Democrats and liberals for being one of the few Republicans to speak out against Donald Trump. Romney became the first senator in history to call for impeachment of a member of his own party. He was determined to become known for pragmatism rather than partisanship and frequently butted heads with extremist conservatives. 

While his foreign policy and ability to calculate data was strong, he struggled to maintain relatability and show voters that he genuinely cared about people who did not look like him. The public perception of him is generally one of a folksy, dorky rich guy, and his repeated gaffes during various campaigns only emphasized this portrayal.

Ann Romney grew up in a wealthy neighborhood in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. She and Mitt attended partnered schools and started dating while in high school. She was very interested in the LDS Church and encouraged Mitt to go on his mission to France. While he was away, she attended church with his parents and decided to convert. She greatly admired her future father-in-law and asked him to baptize her. When Mitt returned, they were immediately engaged and married three months later. The family moved to Utah when Mitt transferred to BYU, and Ann gave birth to two sons while earning her BA in French at BYU. The family then moved to Massachusetts, where Mitt attended Harvard, and Ann had three more sons. Caring for five sons was exhausting. In 1998, Ann was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She became a philanthropic figure in the field of MS and experimented with different therapies. She found that riding horses helped her maintain neurological control, and she became an accomplished equestrian. As First Lady of Massachusetts, she performed philanthropic work, much of which was faith-based or benefited children. 

As Mitt’s career took off, she became known as the “Mitt stabilizer,” and was recognized as a crucial figure who could regulate his emotions when he was extremely stressed. She recognized that he thrived on chaos and loved fixing catastrophes, and she encouraged him to pursue opportunities that would allow him to do this. She became a major player in his political career and was the one who persuaded him to become CEO of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The Romneys were interviewed by Oprah in 2012 during the presidential campaign, and Ann maintained a friendship with Oprah. In advance of the 2020 election, Oprah contacted Ann to try to persuade the Romneys that she and Mitt should run together on an Independent ticket. In 2016, Mitt voted for Ann for president, writing in her name rather than voting for Trump or Hillary Clinton. 

Ann entered the public sphere as second-wave feminism was gaining traction. She received criticism for not doing more with her public role and appearing content to be a housewife. A small feminist faction of the Mormon church sought her approval. During Mitt’s campaign against Ted Kennedy, she was criticized for appearing too submissive and superficial. The press did not love her, and ads featuring her were often perceived to hurt Mitt’s various campaigns since they emphasized the family’s privilege and made them seem less relatable. 

The Romneys have 24 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.