President 2008 Watch: Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney to Announce He Won’t Seek Re-election

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney addresses a luncheon at the first annual Massachusetts Conference for Women in this Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2005 file photo, in Boston. Romney has decided not to seek re-election in 2006, a source told The Associated Press on Wednesday, fueling speculation he will run for president in 2008. The 58-year-old businessman and son of former Michigan Gov. George Romney scheduled an evening news conference to announce his re-election plans.

The Boston Globe has Romney to announce he won’t seek re-election

Governor is expected to seek GOP presidential nomination in 2008

Governor Mitt Romney will announce at 6 p.m. that he will not seek re-election to a second term, setting the stage for an expected campaign for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, a senior aide to the governor said today.

The aide told the Boston Globe that Romney will announce that he will fill out his term, which ends in January, 2007. The move is widely seen as another step in his plans to launch a presidential campaign. His announcement today is expected to be televised live from the State House.

The 58-year-old businessman, son of former Michigan Gov. George Romney, has spent less than three years in elective office, but in that time the state has closed a $3 billion budget deficit without raising taxes, schools have scored first in national math and science tests and Romney held out until the Legislature gave him a tough new drunken driving law he demanded.

This will be perceived as a NEGATIVE in his political Curriculum Vitae i.e. never standing for re-election to his only political office.

The announcement ends months of speculation over whether Romney, who took office after winning the 2002 gubernatorial election, would seek the presidency after only one term in office. He confirmed last spring that he was testing the presidential waters. During the past year, he has made frequent trips out of state, often to states that are considered key primary battle grounds in a presidential campaign.

Romney can run but the nomination belongs to either Rudy Giuliani or John McCain.

Flap’s 2008 Presidential ticket: Giuliani and Allen

Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass., shakes hands as he works the room at the Manchester Republican Committee’s holiday dinner in Bedford, N.H. Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2005.