Mitt Romney filed the paperwork to form a presidential exploratory committee on Wednesday, his last day as governor of Massachusetts.
Romney is widely regarded as one of the top three candidates for the Republican nomination for president in 2008. The others are Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, both of whom have already set up exploratory committees.
The committees allow candidates to raise money for a possible presidential bid. Giuliani advisers, in a secret document that was disclosed by the New York Daily News on Tuesday, estimated that he would need to raise $100 million in 2007.
Romney has been trying to position himself as more conservative than Giuliani and McCain. Yet some Republicans are skeptical of Romney’s evolution from a self-described pro-choice candidate for governor of Massachusetts to a self-described pro-life candidate for president.
Others have questioned whether Romney’s membership in the Mormon church will be a hindrance.
