Romney exits with pomp, ambition

Governor Mitt Romney took the ceremonial "lone walk" out of the State House and into the 2008 presidential race yesterday, concluding his final day as governor by filing papers to set up an exploratory committee for a campaign for president.

The one-term governor turned over symbolic gifts to incoming governor Deval Patrick, then joined his wife, Ann, on a red-carpeted walk down the 31 State House steps, where about 200 supporters cheered and cannons fired a 19-gun salute.

As Romney was wrapping up his State House duties, his campaign operatives were filing papers with the Federal Election Commission, allowing Romney to start raising money for his White House campaign. They set up a committee and launched a new website, www.MittRomney.com.

The filing begins a march toward next year's primaries, joining a Republican field that includes Senator John McCain of Arizona and former mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York City.

Today, Romney is to address the media from his new presidential campaign headquarters in the North End. He is not expected to join Patrick at his inauguration.

Romney this weekend is to head to Georgia for a gathering of southern conservatives, and on Monday hold a major fund-raiser for his presidential campaign at the South Boston convention center.

Though the first presidential primary is more than a year away, a major test of Romney's viability will be how much money he can raise. Because there are federal contribution limits of $2,100 per person, Romney can no longer rely on a relatively small group of large contributors. His challenge now is to raise small donations from many contributors, and his fund-raisers have already been busy courting Republican players to help him do that.

Through his Commonwealth Political Action Committee, which he set up in 2004 to support Republican candidates around the country, Romney raised $8.8 million by November.

Romney's departure from the State House, which took about 25 minutes, came one day earlier than the end of his four-year term of office. If he had left the building today, as has been the tradition, he would have been forced to walk through crowds of Patrick supporters gathered for the new governor's unusual outdoor inauguration. By staging the lone walk a day early, the governor commanded the spotlight, following a schedule that had been scripted down to the second.

Romney, who yesterday called being governor "a great job," turned over the symbols of office to Patrick at around 5 p.m. inside the governor's office. As photographers snapped pictures, Romney described the gifts -- a pewter key to the governor's office door; a Bible left by Governor Benjamin Butler when he left office in 1884, a gavel and a copy of the Massachusetts General Laws inscribed by each governor with a note to his or her successor.

Romney read aloud his inscription to Patrick. "Transmitted to Governor Patrick and the People of Massachusetts," said Romney. "To serve another person is an honor. To serve a great people has been a great honor. To help another person is rewarding. To help many thousands of people has been immeasurably rewarding. Each of those who has served and helped others these last four years, has spent them self in a great work, and so leaves a far richer person. May God continue to bless the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."

"Thank you so much," Patrick said. "Thank you for your service."

The two men left the office -- Romney to begin his walk out of the State House and Patrick to attend an inaugural event in Worcester.

After walking out of the governor's office, Romney made a series of stops, greeting people who he said symbolized achievements of his administration. He met with the family of Melanie Powell of Marshfield, who was killed by a drunk driver, and in whose memory the state's drunken driving bill was enacted in 2005. He also met with a family that lost their home in Hurricane Katrina, two families who couldn't afford medical care before the state's new healthcare law was passed, and with members of the National Guard. He also greeted a group of students who received new scholarships to state colleges because of their high MCAS scores.

He also shook hands with Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, who was defeated by Patrick in the November election.

Several minutes ahead of schedule, Romney and his wife emerged from the center doors of the State House. They paused halfway down the steps, bathed in light, for the cannon salute. When they reached the street, they shook hands with supporters who lined both sides of Beacon Street. The crowd applauded; supporters took photos of the couple with their cellphones.

One of the first to say goodbye was Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, who stood at the front of the crowd. He has worked closely with Romney on a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage intended for the 2008 ballot.

Two hecklers followed Romney through Boston Common to a waiting car, one of them shouting "You're a hateful man." A supporter tried to drown the hecklers out, shouting, "There's our next president."

Though technically still governor until Patrick is sworn in today, Romney completed his final work day yesterday. After swearing in the Legislature, Romney signed a few dozen bills, including one that allows racetracks to continue simulcasting and another that overhauls rules for teenage drivers. He failed to sign a bill increasing the pay of the Boston Licensing Board, but OK'd a 4.8 percent payraise for state lawmakers over two years.

Though he just took the first formal step toward a presidential run, Romney has made it clear for the past two years that he was seriously considering getting into the race. His frequent out-of-state travel and jokes about Massachusetts' liberal reputation has irked some political leaders, both Democrats and Republicans, who have accused him of ignoring the job he was elected to do in 2002.

"I think once voters in other states understand what happened under Mitt Romney's leadership in Massachusetts, they will recoil from the notion that he should lead the country," said Philip Johnston, chairman of the state Democratic Party.

Yesterday's paperwork was filed by Benjamin Ginsberg, a prominent Republican lawyer, who will serve as Romney's national counsel. Romney has spent months signing up political talent in preparation for his run.

On Monday, Romney is to host a fund-raiser at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in South Boston. Supporters and activists working for Romney around the country are to gather to raise money and begin to plot out a campaign strategy. The event is to run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A call center is to be set up for the day, where volunteers will raise money.

Michael Paulson of the Globe staff contributed to this report.