Romney handily won office in 2002. In 1994, he ran for the Senate from Massachusetts but lost to Democratic incumbent Edward M. Kennedy.
Asked repeatedly at Wednesday's news conference about his White House ambitions, Romney pointed out that another probable Republican presidential candidate, Arizona Sen. John McCain, "says he thinks of being president every day in the shower."
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Friday December 16, 2005 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 32 words Type of Material: Correction
Massachusetts governor -- An article in Thursday's Section A about Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said Michael Dukakis stepped down as governor of the state in 1992. Dukakis left office in January 1991.
Romney said the words he hums when he's daydreaming come from "Star Wars," namely: "It is a galaxy far, far away."
Turning serious, he said: "I am not going to close any options, other than running for reelection. I don't think it would be fair to change my mind on that one."
Romney promised to finish his term. Two of his recent Republican predecessors, Govs. William Weld and Paul Cellucci, left office before their terms expired.
The move by the son of former Michigan Gov. George Romney heartened state Democrats, who have not occupied the corner office on Beacon Hill since Michael Dukakis stepped down in 1992.
"He doesn't want this job? I do," state Atty. Gen. Tom Reilly said Wednesday. "I'm going for it, folks. I'm going for it."
Deval Patrick, a top Justice Department official during the Clinton administration, also is running for governor as a Democrat.
Romney's lieutenant governor, Kerry Healey, is widely expected to run as his Republican replacement. Romney said Wednesday that he would endorse her candidacy.
Charlie Manning, a longtime Republican strategist in Massachusetts, said that Romney's decision not to seek a second term came as no surprise.
"I think people thought he would serve his whole term and get as much done as he could and then move on to other things, as he has done so many times in his life," Manning said. "Mitt is kind of Mr. Fix-It."
The governor used his speech Wednesday to outline his accomplishments as governor, saying he had met almost all the goals he outlined when he took office.
Phil Johnston, chairman of the Democratic Party in Massachusetts, disagreed.
"He has done the opposite. You name it, he hasn't done it. He said he would travel around the country persuading CEOs to move their businesses here, and he has done the opposite. He has traveled around the country bashing Massachusetts."
Johnston dismissed Romney's possible presidential ambitions as an example of "what I call the Mitt principle: You fail in one job and then attempt to get elected to a higher office. He joins a long line of Republican governors who have tried to get out of town as fast as possible."
