Ronna Romney
Personal details
Born
Ronna Eileen Stern

(1943-09-24) September 24, 1943
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)3, including
Scott Romney
​
​
(m. 1967; div. 1992)​

Bruce Kulp
Children5, including Ronna
RelativesRomney family
EducationOakland University (BA)

Ronna Eileen Romney (née Stern; born September 24, 1943) is an American Republican politician and former radio talk show host.[1]

Early life and family

Romney, née Stern, was born in Detroit, Michigan to parents Eileen Boyd and James Albert Stern.[2][3] She graduated from Seaholm High School in Birmingham, Michigan in 1961.[4] Romney received a bachelor's degree from Oakland University.[5] She also attended Michigan State University.[4]

In 1967, Stern married G. Scott Romney, a son of George W. Romney, the former chairman and president of AMC and the then-Governor of Michigan, and Lenore Romney, the then-First Lady of Michigan and later candidate for the U.S. Senate. They were married in a traditional sealing ceremony at the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[6] Stern was 23 years old, divorced, and had a three-year-old son.[7] She had converted to Mormonism after meeting Scott.[8] They would divorce in 1992.[9]

Through her ex-husband, she was the sister-in-law of Mitt Romney, who would later serve as Governor of Massachusetts (2003-2007) and U.S. Senator from Utah (since 2019), and was the 2012 Republican nominee for president.

Ronna Stern Romney's sister, Terry (Stern) Rakolta, gained prominence as an anti-obscenity activist in the late 1980s; Terry's husband, John Rakolta, is a Detroit businessman who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from 2019 to 2021, and was a national finance chair for Mitt Romney's 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns.[10]

Career

Romney began her political career with extensive involvement in political fundraising, advising, and volunteering. One of her earliest roles was serving as campaign finance chairman for Richard Headlee's unsuccessful campaign during the 1982 gubernatorial election. Headlee was a former campaign manager for George W. Romney, and a prominent Mormon in Michigan.[11][12] Ronna went on to serve as a Commissioner of the President's National Advisory Council on Adult Education under President Ronald Reagan from 1982 to 1985.[5] Romney served as an RNC committeewoman from Michigan from 1984 to 1992, and served as an alternate delegate to the 1988 Republican National Convention.[13][14][5] She served as a Michigan finance co-chair for the Reagan/Bush campaign in the 1984 presidential election. She was also charter member of GOPAC, an influential Republican political action committee, that year.[12] She also served as Chairwoman of the President's Commission on White House Presidential Scholars from 1985 to 1989.[5][12] In 1986, she served as co-chairman for Michigan, treasurer for Michigan, and as a member of the national finance steering committee for the political action committee Fund For America's Future.[12] Romney was a member of the national steering committee of Bush for President campaign in 1988. She also served as a finance co-chair on that campaign.[12]

Romney has twice been a candidate for the U.S. Senate. In 1994, then a conservative radio talk show host[1] and two years following her divorce from Scott Romney,[9] she narrowly lost the Republican primary to Spencer Abraham. Her former father-in-law Governor George W. Romney endorsed Abraham in the primary having promised Abraham his endorsement prior to his former daughter-in-law's candidacy.[9][15] Romney's former brother-in-law Mitt Romney, then a candidate for the United States Senate in Massachusetts, returned to Michigan to help campaign for her.[9][16] Romney's daughter, the future Chairman of the Republican National Committee Ronna Romney McDaniel, volunteered as a driver during her campaign.[17] Abraham would serve one term in the United States Senate and become the 10th United States Secretary of Energy.[18]

Romney was again a candidate for the United States Senate in 1996. She narrowly defeated businessman James B. Nicholson in the Republican primary to secure the nomination.[19][20] In the general election, Romney lost to incumbent Senator Carl Levin by a large margin.[21][22][23]

Romney has written two books. She co-authored a book, Momentum: Women in American Politics Now in 1988.[24] Romney had previously co-authored a book on marriage, Giving Time a Chance: The Secret of Lasting Marriage in 1985 prior to her second divorce.[25]

After failing to win a place in the United States Senate, Romney returned to the private sector and remarried. She has served on the Board of Directors of Molina Healthcare since 1999.[26][27][5] Romney has also served as a director of Park-Ohio Holdings Corporation since 2001.[28] She is currently married to Bruce Kulp[3] and resides in Northville, Michigan and Longboat Key, Florida.[29][30][4] Romney has continued to donate thousands of dollars to Republican candidates for office.[31] She has also campaigned for her relatives. Romney campaigned for her former husband, Scott, in his unsuccessful primary campaign for Michigan Attorney General in 1998.[32] Romney aggressively campaigned and fundraised for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign.[32][33][31][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41] Romney remains a best friend of Mitt's wife, Ann Romney.[32][33][31][34][35][36][37][40][41][38][39]

Romney's daughter, Ronna Romney McDaniel, has followed her mother into politics. Romney McDaniel is the Chairman of the Republican National Committee, and has served as a Michigan RNC Committeewoman, Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, and a delegate for Donald Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention.[42][43]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Seelye, Katharine Q. (16 April 1994). "Talk Radio Hosts Answer a Political Call". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  2. ↑ Kestenbaum, Lawrence. "The Political Graveyard: Means family of Ohio". Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Eileen Ambrose Obituary, Bloomfield Hills, MI". www.desmondfuneralhome.com. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  4. 1 2 3 "Ronna (Stern) Romney". www.seaholm61.org. Archived from the original on 2018-08-20. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ronna E. Romney: Executive Profile & Biography - Bloomberg". Archived from the original on April 1, 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  6. ↑ "Scott Romney to Marry Mrs. Ronna Eileen Stern". The New York Times. 18 August 1967. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  7. ↑ "Scott Romney to Marry Mrs. Ronna Eileen Stern". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  8. ↑ "The Ogden Standard-Examiner from Ogden, Utah on August 23, 1967 · Page 7". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Mitt Romney stuck in family political drama on this date 18 years ago". Boston.com. 2012-07-26. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  10. ↑ "Romney has county roots". 2018-08-20. Archived from the original on 2018-08-20. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  11. ↑ "Obituary: Richard H. Headlee". DeseretNews.com. 2004-11-12. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "George Bush: Appointment of Ronna Romney as a Member of the President's Commission on White House Fellowships, and Designation as Chairman". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  13. ↑ Ronna Romney Profile, Forbes.
  14. ↑ "Romney rolls out Reaganites". Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  15. ↑ "A complicated Romney family". POLITICO. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  16. ↑ "Romney to stump for former in-law His father backs rival Mich. hopeful". 1994-07-26. Archived from the original on 2013-05-17. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  17. ↑ "Latest Romney in politics is not a candidate". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  18. ↑ Marquis, Christopher (3 January 2001). "THE 43rd PRESIDENT: Man in the News; Edmund Spencer Abraham". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  19. ↑ "Romney wins, Collins loses in Mich". UPI. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  20. ↑ "Our Campaigns - MI US Senate - R Primary Race - Aug 06, 1996". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  21. ↑ Stevenson., Keith Bradsher, Robert D. Hershey Jr., David M. Herszenhorn, Neil A. Lewis, Jane H. Lii, John T. McQuiston, Steven Lee Myers, Gustav Niebuhr, Eric Schmitt and Richard W. (7 November 1996). "MIDWEST". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-08-20.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ↑ "Our Campaigns - MI US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1996". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  23. ↑ "1996 general results - State of Michigan" (PDF). Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  24. ↑ Ronna., Romney (1988). Momentum : women in American politics now. Harrison, Beppie. (First ed.). New York: Crown. ISBN 051756890X. OCLC 16805414.
  25. ↑ Romney, Ronna (1985). Giving Time a Chance: The Secret of a Lasting Marriage. Bantam Books. ISBN 9780553245899.
  26. ↑ "Board of Directors". 2018-08-20. Archived from the original on 2018-08-20. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  27. ↑ "DEF 14A". www.sec.gov. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  28. ↑ "Directors". 2018-08-20. Archived from the original on 2018-08-20. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  29. ↑ "Jewel in the Sky : Penthouse on Longboat Key - Home & Design". Home & Design. 2017-01-09. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  30. ↑ "Corey's Landing home sells for $3.55 million | Longboat Key | Your Observer". Your Observer. 2015-11-23. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  31. 1 2 3 "Donor Lookup • OpenSecrets". 2018-08-20. Archived from the original on 2018-08-20. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  32. 1 2 3 Todd Spangler (2012-08-26). "The Romney Political Clan". The Detroit Free Press.
  33. 1 2 Cottle, Michelle (2012-05-30). "Turning Spotlight on Mitt Romney Siblings Could Help Humanize GOP Nominee". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  34. 1 2 Politically Personal (2012-06-11), Politically Personal - Episode 1: Ronna Romney, retrieved 2018-08-20
  35. 1 2 "Politically Personal - Episode 1: Ronna Romney - YouTube". archive.is. 2018-08-22. Archived from the original on 2018-08-22. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  36. 1 2 Rachelle Boudry (2012-10-11), Michigan's Big Show: Ronna Romney [1], retrieved 2018-08-20
  37. 1 2 "Michigan's Big Show: Ronna Romney [1] - YouTube". archive.is. 2018-08-22. Archived from the original on 2018-08-22. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  38. 1 2 Rachelle Boudry (2012-10-19), Michigan's Big Show: Ronna Romney [2], retrieved 2018-08-20
  39. 1 2 "Michigan's Big Show: Ronna Romney [2] - YouTube". archive.is. 2018-08-22. Archived from the original on 2018-08-22. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  40. 1 2 The Detroit News (2015-09-29), Romney family members pitch in, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2018-08-20
  41. 1 2 cmcelyea717 (2011-06-02), I met Mitt Romney's sister in law!, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2018-08-20{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  42. ↑ Moorhead, Dana Bash, CNN A series produced by Abigail Crutchfield, Jackson Loo and Jeremy. "Romney McDaniel: One woman's rise to the top of Republican politics". CNN. Retrieved 2018-08-20. {{cite news}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  43. ↑ "Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel | GOP". 2018-08-20. Archived from the original on 2018-08-20. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
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