Former Massachusetts governor starts 2008 White House bid (Roundup)

Feb 13, 2007, 19:51 GMT

Washington - Mitt Romney, a Republican former governor of the US state of Massachusetts, joined the 2008 race for president Tuesday.

Romney, who served one-term as governor of the north-eastern state, officially declared his candidacy at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, his home state where his father served three terms as governor.

In a speech in front of supporters, Romney, 59, tied the need for innovation in US politics to the entrepreneurial spirit of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.

'It is time for innovation and transformation in Washington. It is what our country needs. It is what our people deserve,' he said.

Romney began his career as a businessman and founded investment and venture capital firm Bain Capital. He took over the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games Organizing Committee and was credited with bringing the games back from a financial crisis and corruption scandal.

Romney, a Mormon, will have to overcome concerns about his religion, which some Christian groups consider outside the mainstream. He also faces accusations that he has changed his positions on social issues like abortion to appeal to conservatives in the Republican party after governing a state that is generally seen as liberal.

In his announcement Tuesday, Romney stressed that he is not a Washington political insider and has experience transforming other institutions.

'I do not believe Washington can be transformed from within by a lifelong politician,' he said.

His speech also touched on foreign policy issues, saying the US should continue to 'seek stability' in Iraq and should 'campaign for freedom and democracy' in Latin America.

He will likely face Senator John McCain and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani for the Republican nomination, both of whom have formed committees to examine a candidacy but have yet to make formal announcements.