Mitt Romney’s 2012 Stirrings Begin on Site of Early Defeat

Mitt Romney has started officially testing the waters for a presidential run in a state known for its independent voters and where he narrowly lost a presidential Republican primary four years ago.

Romney was in Durham, New Hampshire on Monday, where he had been discussing the economy and jobs with students at the University of New Hampshire.

In the New Hampshire Primary of January 8, 2008, Romney earned 31.56 percent of the popular vote compared with Arizona Sen. John McCain’s share of 37 percent. Romney earned 4 delegates for the Republican nomination, while McCain earned 7.

Romney abandoned his bid on February 7, 2008, two days after losing key primaries on 'Super Tuesday' to McCain in California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey and Arizona, among others.

“If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator (Hillary) Clinton or (Barack) Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror,” Romney said at the time.