Yesterday, the 2012 presidential race got its first semi-official Republican candidate. Is a second on the way?
Mitt Romney resigned from the board of directors of hotel giant Marriott International yesterday, a move that indicates he may be preparing for another presidential bid.
Romney previously served on Marriott’s board for 10 years before stepping down in 2002 to run for governor of Massachusetts. He rejoined the board in 2009.
Though no Republicans have officially declared their candidacy, Romney is generally considered one of the frontrunners for the GOP nod. And while the first primary contest is a year away, early polling shows Romney could give Obama a decent fight in 2012. The current TPM Poll Average has him trailing Obama in national polls by a slim 0.3%, 44.8% to 44.5%.
Pizza magnate turned talk radio host Herman Cain announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee yesterday, typically the first formal step toward a declaration of candidacy. Yet Cain, who has never held elected office, stopped short of definitively launching an official bid for now.
