--- description: Mitt Romney defended his oft-mocked presidential campaign comment about having "binders full of women" title: Mitt Romney Says 'Binders Full of Women' Comment Didn't Hurt Him image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9fae2e8ace602a3a/698783e735ba6f4688c07965/mitt-romney1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [2012 election](/tag/2012-election/) ## 2012 election Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Mitt Romney Says 'Binders Full of Women' Comment Didn't Hurt Him  by [Tessa Berenson](/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 19, 2015 5:00 PM CUT  Mitt Romney is greeted by fellow Republicans at a dinner during the Republican National Committee's Annual Winter Meeting aboard the USS Midway on Jan. 16, 2015 in San Diego. Mitt Romney is greeted by fellow Republicans at a dinner during the Republican National Committee's Annual Winter Meeting aboard the USS Midway on Jan. 16, 2015 in San Diego.Sandy Huffaker—Getty Images  by [Tessa Berenson](/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 19, 2015 5:00 PM CUT Mitt Romney [defended his oft-mocked presidential campaign comment](http://news.yahoo.com/mitt-romney-exclusive-interview-with-katie-couric-092359394.html "undefined") about having “binders full of women,” dismissing the notion that it hurt his White House chances after recently opening up about some of his mistakes during the 2012 race. “That’s pretty straightforward,” the former Massachusetts governor [told Yahoo](http://news.yahoo.com/mitt-romney-exclusive-interview-with-katie-couric-092359394.html "undefined"). “It’s a binder, alright, a notebook with resumes of women. I don’t think I lost any votes for that.” Instead, he said one of his biggest regrets of the campaign was not effectively spreading his message to minority groups in the country. Were he to run again, he said he would spend “a great deal of time taking my message to Hispanic-Americans and to other minority groups in this country—African-Americans, Asian-Americans—and describing why it is that conservative principles are best for them and for their families. That’s something I wish I would’ve spent a lot more time doing.” Romney said he chose not to run for in because he is “not the best person to carry forward the Republican torch.” He declined to endorse a different Republican candidate. ### See the Last Days of Mitt Romney's 2012 Campaign  Nov. 7, 2012\. Ann Romney and Mitt Romney leave the stage of the Boston Convention Center after his concession speech. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Nov. 7, 2012\. Romney gives his concession speech to supporters gathered at the Boston Convention Center on election night. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Nov. 6, 2012\. Supporters of Mitt Romney look on as they learn the results of the election at the Boston Convention Center. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Nov. 5, 2012\. Mitt and Ann Romney deplane at a campaign rally in Columbus, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Nov. 5, 2012\. A bus at a campaign stop in Fairfax, Va. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Nov. 5, 2012\. One day before the election, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney campaigns in Sanford, Fla. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Nov. 4, 2012\. Bystanders at a Romney campaign stop in Cleveland, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Nov. 4, 2012\. A news correspondent at a Romney campaign event in Cleveland, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Nov. 4, 2012\. Audio-video preparation at a venue in Des Moines, Iowa. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Nov. 3, 2012\. Secret Service at a Romney campaign in Colorado Springs, Colo. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Nov. 3, 2012\. Romney campaigning in Portsmouth, N.H. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Nov. 4, 2012\. At a Romney campaign stop in Cleveland, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Nov. 2, 2012\. Romney campaigns in West Allis, Wis. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Nov. 2, 2012\. Faces in the crowd at a Romney campaign stop in West Allis, Wis. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Nov. 2, 2012\. Listening to Romney speak at an event in Pataskala, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Nov. 2, 2012\. Faces in the crowd at a stop in West Chester, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Nov. 2, 2012\. Faces in the crowd in West Allis, Wis. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Nov. 2, 2012\. Romney's sons (from left) Tagg, Matt, Josh and Craig watch their father in West Chester, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 31, 2012\. Security at a rally in Tampa. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 31, 2012\. An onlooker at a Romney campaign stop in Tampa. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 31, 2012\. Waiting for the candidate to arrive at an event in Tampa, attended by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Senator Rubio and Connie Mack. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 30, 2012\. Romney addressing the crowd in Kettering, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 30, 2012\. Supplies donated to the Red Cross at a campaign stop in Kettering, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 30, 2012\. A journalist covering the campaign stop in Kettering, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 30, 2012\. Pausing to use an iPad at a Romney event in Kettering, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 30, 2012\. Carl Cameron, a Fox News correspondent, at a stop in Kettering, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 28, 2012\. Romney and Ryan address the crowd in Celina, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 28, 2012\. In Findley, Ohio, a wide range of ages came out to hear Romney and Ryan speak. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 28, 2012\. A Romney security detail at a Celina, Ohio rally. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 28, 2012\. Faces in the crowd in Marion, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 28, 2012\. Faces in the crowd in Marion, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 26, 2012\. Before a Romney-Ryan rally in Canton, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 28, 2012\. Romney speaking in Findley, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 28, 2012\. Faces in the crowd in Findley, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 28, 2012\. Romney speaking in Marion, Ohio, nine days before the Presidential election. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 27, 2012\. Romney supporters in Land O' Lakes, Fla. stretched to high-five Romney as he left the rally. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 27, 2012\. Faces in the crowd during the rally in Land O’ Lakes, Fla. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 26, 2012\. Faces in the crowd at the Romney-Ryan rally in Canton, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME  Oct. 26, 2012\. Faces in the crowd at the Romney-Ryan rally in Canton, Ohio. Christopher Morris—VII for TIME ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3751152/mitt-romney-binders-full-of-women/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3751152/mitt-romney-binders-full-of-women/"},"headline":"Mitt Romney Says 'Binders Full of Women' Comment Didn't Hurt Him","datePublished":"2015-03-19T17:00:58.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:04:58.877Z","description":"\"I don't think I lost any votes for that”","url":"https://time.com/3751152/mitt-romney-binders-full-of-women/","keywords":["2012 election","campaign"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9fae2e8ace602a3a/698783e735ba6f4688c07965/mitt-romney1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tessa Berenson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9fae2e8ace602a3a/698783e735ba6f4688c07965/mitt-romney1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Mitt Romney is greeted by fellow Republicans at a dinner during the Republican National Committee's Annual Winter Meeting aboard the USS Midway on Jan. 16, 2015 in San Diego.","caption":"Mitt Romney is greeted by fellow Republicans at a dinner during the Republican National Committee's Annual Winter Meeting aboard the USS Midway on Jan. 16, 2015 in San Diego.","creditText":"Sandy Huffaker—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/2012-election/","name":"2012 election"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3751152/mitt-romney-binders-full-of-women/","name":"Mitt Romney Says 'Binders Full of Women' Comment Didn't Hurt Him"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Real TIME: Jeb Bush at CPAC 2015","description":"Jeb Bush addressed his mother's comments, and outlined his views on immigration and the Common Core during his Q&A at CPAC 2015.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Opukemjy/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-02-27T21:32:38.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Opukemjy.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3751152/mitt-romney-binders-full-of-women/","duration":"PT59S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3751152/mitt-romney-binders-full-of-women/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```