Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney

Republican Mitt Romney, who is seeking to become the 45th U.S. president, is in a tight race against incumbent President Barack Obama.

With the presidential race focused largely on the sagging U.S. economy, Romney has touted his business experience.

The former Massachusetts governor made millions as a top executive with Bain Capital, one of the world's largest private investment firms. Romney also led efforts to rescue the 2002 Winter Olympics in the western state of Utah from financial distress.

On the campaign trail, Romney has vowed to lower taxes, cut government spending and reduce the U.S. budget deficit. He has said that, if elected, he will immediately repeal President Obama's signature health care law.

Obama's campaign has criticized Romney as being weak in the area of foreign policy.


Questions about Romney's personal wealth have also dogged his campaign.

The 2012 race marks Romney's second bid for the White House. He also ran in 2008 but lost that campaign to be the Republican presidential nominee.

The former governor faced questions early in the current presidential race about his membership in the Mormon Church -- a religious group that believes in the Christian Bible but also follows teachings from their founder and a holy book separate from the Bible.

Romney is from a political family. His father served as governor of Michigan and ran for the Republican Party's presidential nomination in 1968.

Romney was born in Michigan. He is a married father of five.