From Deseret News archives:
Romney took on 'outsider' role at helm of Bay State
Self-styled CEO governor stressed belt-tightening
The next day, March 17, the Romneys flew to Massachusetts, met at the airport by reporters and a Boston Herald poll that showed Romney crushing Swift by a 75 percent to 12 percent in a race for the GOP nomination.
Within 48 hours, Swift pulled out of the race at a tearful Statehouse press conference.
That afternoon, Romney made his candidacy official. "Lest there be any doubt, I'm in," he told reporters.
The next day, he deposited $75,000 in a new campaign account, the first installment of $6.3 million of his own money he would spend on the race.
Romney's aides feared that his wealth could spark criticism that he was a cold-hearted capitalist, as it did in his 1994 Senate campaign.
They were especially worried that another rich businessman, real estate investor Jim Rappaport, might win the primary for lieutenant governor.
Romney said he would remain neutral in the lieutenant governor's race, but his loyal wingman Bob White and campaign strategist Mike Murphy were working to avert a Romney-Rappaport ticket of two rich white men.
"White and I had to go give Rappaport the bad news at his headquarters," Murphy recalled. "He actually took it pretty well, a lot better than his staff did. ... Then we had to take the walk of shame with his whole staff staring at us."
Kerry Healey went on to beat Rappaport, but the expedience of the alliance was evident at the outset when Romney called his new partner "Sherry" on a radio show.
Residency challenge
The Mitt Romney who hit the campaign trail in 2002 was a different man than the promising neophyte of 1994. Romney was now a media star — People magazine would soon name him one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. He was also wiser in the ways of politics and supremely confident.
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