By David A. Fahrenthold
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 15, 2005

BOSTON, Dec. 14 -- Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) announced Wednesday evening that he will not seek reelection next year, leaving open the possibility that he will pursue a presidential run full time after leaving office in 2007.

Romney, 58, said he was leaving after one term because his work was nearly finished: Every campaign promise was either completed, near completion or beyond all political hope.

"Frankly, there was very little that had to spill over into a second term," Romney said in a speech at Boston's State House. He said he had come to this decision after going over a list of goals with his wife, Ann.

With his Cabinet looking on, Romney listed his accomplishments in office, including streamlining the state's bureaucracy and improving education. He allowed himself one comparison between his state and the rest of the country, noting that while Massachusetts schoolchildren are succeeding in standardized tests, "our nation is falling behind."

But Romney, who has said only that he is considering a presidential run, was noncommittal when pressed about aspirations for higher office. During his demurrals, he quoted baseball sage Yogi Berra -- "It's very difficult to forecast, particularly when the future is involved" -- and the "Star Wars" movies.

"It's in a galaxy far, far away," Romney said of the 2008 elections. "It's a lifetime away in the world of politics."

Here in Massachusetts, however, there seems to be little suspense.

"He started running for president the day he was elected governor," said Philip W. Johnston, chairman of the state Democratic Party, who has criticized Romney for taking conservative stands on issues such as same-sex marriage and making fun of Massachusetts to out-of-state audiences.

Since Romney was elected governor in 2002, he has begun to take on more national prominence within the Republican Party. In recent months, he has spoken to GOP groups in several states and ascended to chairman of the Republican Governors Association, allowing him to expand his contacts within the party's national donor network.

At this point, the 2008 GOP presidential race appears to be wide open. In a Zogby survey released Wednesday, the front-runners in a hypothetical primary were Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), with 19 percent of the vote, and former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani with 12 percent. Romney garnered just 2 percent.

On his side, Romney does have good looks, charisma and a proven ability to win in the bluest of states.

But he would face significant political hurdles, including his lack of foreign policy experience and a rsum that includes just one term in elected office. Another problem could be his Mormon faith -- which strategists say might turn off some evangelical Christian voters.

Washingtonpost.com staff writer Chris Cillizza in Washington contributed to this report.