Mitt Romney will not attend a Saturday gathering of Republican presidential candidates hosted by a congressman controversial for his statements on immigrants, according to a person familiar with his plans.
The person cited previously scheduled family arrangements as keeping Romney, who is “seriously considering” a third White House campaign in 2016, from attending the Des Moines event hosted by Iowa Rep. Steve King.
Growing Up Romney: Mitt's Early World
Caption from LIFE. With 'Mitt,' 10, youngest of Romney children, [George Romney] inspects house at Bloomfield Hills which he and his wife designed.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesGeorge Romney with his son, Mitt, 1958.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesGeorge Romney with his son, Mitt, playing with electric trains, 1958.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesGeorge Romney with his son, Mitt, on a frosty golf course, 1958.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesGeorge Romney with his son, Mitt, on a frosty golf course, 1958.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. From airport to Milwaukee [auto] body plant Romney takes catnap in Rambler station wagon built-in bed, with briefcase as pillow.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. Romney family: Mitt, wife Lenore, son Scott, 16, and daughter Jane, 19, at piano, join together in a hymn. 'The biggest sale I ever made,' Romney said, 'was convincing Lenore to marry me. During our courtship she was offered $50,000 by Paramount to sign a five-year movie contract."Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. On desk George Romney keeps prehistoric animals to remind him of favorite 'big-car' analogy. 'Some dinosaurs had a 70-foot wheelbase and huge fuel consumption. The principal factor in their extinction was the fact that they got so big they were unable to live.'Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesGeorge and Lenore Romney, 1962Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. After Sunday services the Romneys crowd onto a sofa in living room. Son Mitt and married daughters Jane and Lynn are at the rear. From left, grandchildren are Gregory (held by Lenore), Douglas, Susan, Brett and Jody. Another son, Scott, is in England with a mission group.Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesGeorge Romney and grandchildren, 1962Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesGeorge Romney and grandchildren, 1962Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. A Detroit Mormon leader of the church in Michigan area, Romney sits behind the pulpit with fellow dignitaries in church in Bloomfield Hills at Sunday services at which he officiates.Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesGeorge Romney officiates during a Mormon service, Michigan, 1962.Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. At end of a long day on the new state constitution -- and after a quick change to pajamas -- Romney falls asleep on fold-back seat of his car as the chauffeur begins the trip back to Bloomfield Hills.Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesMichigan governor George Romney on the golf course, 1963.Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesMichigan governor George Romney and wife Lenore (right), November 1963.Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesLenore Romney, wife of Michigan governor George Romney, East Lansing, Mich., 1963.Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesMichigan governor George Romney (center) and family, November 1963. Mitt Romney is seated, on the left.Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesMichigan governor George Romney (left) and family, November 1963.Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesMichigan governor George Romney at home, 1963.Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesMitt Romney places a birthday cake before his mother, Lenore, in November 1963.Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesMichigan governor George Romney (seated on couch at right) with family, November 1963. Mitt Romney is seated at left.Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
The Iowa Freedom Summit will include Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, among other Republican hopefuls and conservative leaders. Former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin will also attend.
Romney was invited by organizers when he told donors earlier this month he was considering another bid for the White House.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush also declined the event “due to a scheduling conflict,” according to an aide.
King’s anti-immigration position put him in the spotlight once again this week when in a tweet he called a State of the Union guest of First Lady Michelle Obama “a deportable” because she was brought to the United States illegally as a child.
See the 2016 Candidates Looking Very Presidential
Sen. Ted Cruz is surrounded by stars and stripes at the 2014 Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. on September 26, 2014. Mark Peterson—ReduxHillary Clinton Hillary Clinton gazes pensively into the distance at Iowa Senator Tom Harken'a annual Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa on September 14, 2014.Brooks Kraft—Corbis for TIMEJeb Bush Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush flashes a power watch before giving his keynote address at the National Summit on Education Reform in Washington on Nov. 20, 2014. Susan Walsh—APBernie Sanders waves to supporters after officially announcing his candidacy for the U.S. presidency during an event at Waterfront Park in Burlington, Vermont, on May 26, 2015.Win McNamee—Getty ImagesChris Christie New Jersey Governor Chris Christie strikes a presidential power stance at the ceremony for the opening of the 206 bypass in Hillsborough, New Jersey on October 28, 2013.Mark Peterson—ReduxFormer Hewlett-Packard Co Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina listens to her introduction from the side of the stage at the Freedom Summit in Des Moines, Iowa on Jan. 24, 2015. Jim Young—ReutersRand Paul Sen. Rand Paul works a crowd during a campaign stop on October 24, 2014 in McDonough, Georgia. Jessica McGowan—Getty ImagesRick Perry Texas Gov. Rick Perry looks powerfully patriotic during the National Anthem before an NCAA college football game on Nov. 27, 2014, in College Station, Texas.David J. Phillip—APBobby Jindal Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal looks to the future during The Family Leadership Summit on Aug. 9, 2014, in Ames, Iowa. Charlie Neibergall—APMartin O'Malley Maryland Governor Martin OíMalley ponders decorating ideas in front of his possible future home on CBS's Face the Nation on Feb. 23, 2014. Chris Usher—APMarco Rubio Sen. Marco Rubio looks determined the morning after the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. on January 29, 2014.Melissa Golden—ReduxBen CarsonBen Carson at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference on March 8, 2014. Susan Walsh—APJim Webb Retiring Sen. Jim Webb imitates the presidential wave during a rally in Virginia Beach, Va. on Sept. 27, 2012.Steve Helber—APJohn Kasich Ohio Gov. John Kasich practices his presidential victory pose at the Ohio Republican Party celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, in Columbus, Ohio. Tony Dejak—APRick Santorum Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum looks resolute at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference on March 7, 2014. Brooks Kraft—CorbisScott Walker Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker practices the presidential point on March 3, 2014 in Milwaukee. Jeffrey Phelps—APMike Huckabee Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee fine-tunes his presidential oratory at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference in National Harbor, Md. on March 7, 2014. Susan Walsh—APLincoln Chafee, Former Rhode Island Governor, poses for a selfie with a student after announcing he will seek the Democratic nomination for president in Arlington, Va. on June 3, 2015. Jonathan Ernst—ReutersLindsey Graham Lindsey Graham announced his plans to join the 2016 presidential race.Alex Wong—Getty ImagesGeorge Pataki Former New York governor George Pataki listens to a question at the First in the Nation Republican Leadership Conference in Nashua, New Hampshire, in this April 17, 2015 file photo.Brian Snyder—Reuters
During the 2012 primary debates, Romney alienated Hispanic voters by calling on those in the U.S. illegally to engage in “self-deportation.”
“The largest strategic error was not investing sufficiently, particularly in Hispanic TV and Hispanic outreach to help Hispanic voters understand that ours is the party of opportunity,” Romney told CNN of his failed campaign in 2013.
![With 'Mitt,' 10, youngest of Romney children, [George Romney] inspects house at Bloomfield Hills which he and his wife designed.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/150116-mitt-romney-01.jpg?quality=75&w=2400 "00931500.JPG")
