Special to the Crimson

BOSTON—The Massachusetts gubernatorial race was a veritable revolving door yesterday, as Mitt Romney entered the race just hours after Acting Gov. Jane M. Swift (R) announced she would not run for Governor.

Romney, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1994 and president of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympics, made his announcement at the Sheraton Hotel to the cheers of about 300 supporters a little after 4 p.m.

“This campaign is off, it’s rolling,” Romney said.

“I have never been so proud as to be able to accept your draft,” he continued, referring to the grass roots campaign that began while he was in Utah.

Swift withdrew from the race earlier in the day, saying the campaign would put too much strain on her family commitments. Swift is a mother of three and gave birth to twin daughters last May.

In a Sunday poll by the Boston Herald, Romney led Swift by 63 percentage points.

Swift, who on Monday received support from former Gov. William F. Weld ’66, gave no prior indication of her wavering commitment to the race.

Democratic candidates welcomed Romney to the race but were quick to criticize his positions.

Steve Grossman, former chair of the Democratic National Committee, said Romney’s unopposed bid for the Republican nomination made the race much more difficult for the Democrats.

“I think it changes the race completely,” he said.

Grossman challenged Romney’s record in labor relations and expressed doubts about his commitment as a supporter of abortion rights.

Robert B. Reich, another Democratic gubernatorial candidate and a professor at Brandeis University, said he was surprised by yesterday’s events.

“I would relish the opportunity to debate with Mitt Romney” Reich said. “I don’t think he’s a friend of average working people.”

Romney said Swift would support his campaign and called her a “class act.”

His rapid entry into the race came after a welcome-home event in Belmont on Monday. He said he had originally planned a more dramatic event to celebrate his announcement but toned down the announcement because of Swift’s decision to withdraw.

On Sunday, the Boston Globe reported Romney’s wife Ann was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis three years ago and had expressed “huge qualms” about leaving Utah because of her condition.

But yesterday, as Ann Romney stood beside her husband, clad in an Olympic jacket, Mitt Romney credited her with encouraging him to run.

“She came lobbying me and finally convinced me,” he said.

Though Romney has lived in Utah for the past three years, he maintains his official residence and voter registration in Belmont.