Romney said to postpone announcing election plans

Governor Mitt Romney is putting off the much-awaited announcement on his political future until late November, giving him time to focus on his healthcare bill and other aspects of his legislative agenda, a top GOP adviser said yesterday.

That timeframe, which the adviser offered on condition of anonymity, is the firmest indication to date about when Romney will disclose whether he will seek another term or forgo a campaign for reelection to seek the presidency in 2008.

The governor has long said he would declare this fall whether he would seek another term as governor. Putting off the announcement until late November could keep Romney's political ambitions from further complicating his efforts to eke out legislative victories from the Legislature. Lawmakers are scheduled to go into recess Nov. 16.

Over the summer, Democrats in the Legislature told the Globe that they considered Romney irrelevant to the action on Beacon Hill, reflecting the widely held view that he will seek the GOP presidential nomination. But Romney, sensitive to charges of being a lame duck, has worked in recent months to demonstrate an engagement in state affairs, even while keeping up a busy out-of-state political schedule.

In particular, Romney has said he wants to pass a healthcare bill that would extend coverage to the state's uninsured residents. Asked about Romney's national ambitions, his aides have a ready reply: that he loves his job.

Romney's communications director, Eric Fehrnstrom, said yesterday that the governor has said all along that he would reveal his political plans this fall.

''It could be next week or next month," Fehrnstrom said in an e-mail. ''Taking into account the legislative calendar is one factor among many in the timing of the announcement. We have not circled a specific date on the calendar as the day for an announcement."

Romney's decision and his timetable for making it public are being closely watched in the state's political circles. An announcement that he will forgo a campaign for a second term would be widely interpreted as confirming that he will seek the presidency, and it could shake up the race for governor, perhaps enticing more Democrats to jump in and creating a potential battle for the GOP gubernatorial nomination. (Republican businessman Christy Mihos has said he would challenge Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, whom Romney backs.)

Representative Harriett L. Stanley, a West Newbury Democrat and former chairwoman of the Joint Health Care Committee, said Romney's healthcare plan is gaining ground in the House, and his influence would weaken greatly if he announced he would not seek reelection.

''The governor's timetable makes a lot of sense for policy and political sense," said Stanley, who now sits on the Joint Health Care Financing Committee, which will help shape the healthcare legislation. ''It is a safe bet to say an announcement that he is not running would cause the progress to come to a screeching halt."

Healthcare advocates had urged Romney to wait at least until the legislative session ends.

Others see Romney's motives as more political. Secretary of State William F. Galvin, a potential Democratic candidate for governor, said he is not surprised the governor is holding off until November, because it benefits him and Healey.

''By adding to the uncertainty, they are not showing their cards and that keeps the game going," Galvin said.

The longer Romney waits, according to Galvin and political strategists, the longer other potential GOP candidates are unable to launch a campaign.

Scott Helman can be reached at shelman@globe.com.