WOLFEBORO, N.H. -- Mitt Romney's wife has confirmed a tidbit about the vice presidential search process that her husband largely has been keeping secret: He's considering choosing a woman.
"We've been looking at that, and I love that option, as well," Ann Romney told CBS News in a joint interview with her husband that was broadcast Thursday. She added: "There's a lot of people that Mitt is considering right now."
The disclosure came as the Republican presidential candidate, vacationing with his family at their lakeside estate in Wolfeboro, faced mounting criticism from inside the party about the state of his campaign.
Officially, the campaign says Romney is doing what he has done for the past decade -- enjoying family time during a weeklong holiday in New Hampshire. It's also a break from the campaign trail and a chance to relax before the pre-convention push.
But unofficially, the down time is a chance for Romney to consider who to tap for the No. 2 slot, how the campaign is going and whether to adjust strategy in a contest that polls show is close.
Romney declined in the interview to describe the status of the vice presidential search, saying: "That's something I'm keeping close with my team."
He also didn't respond to growing calls within Republican circles for him to shake up his staff after a series of missteps. Among them: his campaign's initial refusal to side with Republicans who agree with the Supreme Court that the penalty included in President Barack Obama's health care mandate amounts to a tax.
Romney eventually agreed with that assessment and, in doing so, broke with a key spokesman.
Ann Romney, for her part, sketched out her own requirements for what she'd like to see in a running mate, saying the person should be "someone that obviously can do the job but will be able to carry through with some of the other responsibilities."
She said the person should be someone who will have her husband's back and who he will enjoy being around and have "the same personality type."
Inside Republican circles, speculation is high about who Romney will choose, with his search well under way and his self-imposed deadline for picking someone "before the convention" looming large.
Talk among GOP insiders has focused on men as likely top prospects, including Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.
But no less than a half-dozen other names also have popped up, including Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire -- who walked in a Fourth of July parade with Romney on Wednesday -- as well as South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman.
The only time Romney has said anything substantive about the running mate search was last month when he said his advisers were "thoroughly vetting" Rubio. Romney commented after news reports surfaced citing unnamed advisers who said the Florida senator was not being considered.
Romney has said preparedness to be president is his No. 1 requirement for a vice presidential candidate.
Also Thursday, two GOP officials said Romney and the Republican National Committee combined to raise more than $100 million in June -- a striking number for a challenger.
Obama and Romney have raised more than $350 million combined toward the election -- a pace expected to exceed $1 billion by November.
Neither Obama nor the Democratic National Committee has released what they raised in June. However, it's expected they will not report having raised $100 million.
"We've been looking at that, and I love that option, as well," Ann Romney told CBS News in a joint interview with her husband that was broadcast Thursday. She added: "There's a lot of people that Mitt is considering right now."
The disclosure came as the Republican presidential candidate, vacationing with his family at their lakeside estate in Wolfeboro, faced mounting criticism from inside the party about the state of his campaign.
Officially, the campaign says Romney is doing what he has done for the past decade -- enjoying family time during a weeklong holiday in New Hampshire. It's also a break from the campaign trail and a chance to relax before the pre-convention push.
But unofficially, the down time is a chance for Romney to consider who to tap for the No. 2 slot, how the campaign is going and whether to adjust strategy in a contest that polls show is close.
Romney declined in the interview to describe the status of the vice presidential search, saying: "That's something I'm keeping close with my team."
He also didn't respond to growing calls within Republican circles for him to shake up his staff after a series of missteps. Among them: his campaign's initial refusal to side with Republicans who agree with the Supreme Court that the penalty included in President Barack Obama's health care mandate amounts to a tax.
Romney eventually agreed with that assessment and, in doing so, broke with a key spokesman.
Ann Romney, for her part, sketched out her own requirements for what she'd like to see in a running mate, saying the person should be "someone that obviously can do the job but will be able to carry through with some of the other responsibilities."
She said the person should be someone who will have her husband's back and who he will enjoy being around and have "the same personality type."
Inside Republican circles, speculation is high about who Romney will choose, with his search well under way and his self-imposed deadline for picking someone "before the convention" looming large.
Talk among GOP insiders has focused on men as likely top prospects, including Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.
But no less than a half-dozen other names also have popped up, including Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire -- who walked in a Fourth of July parade with Romney on Wednesday -- as well as South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman.
The only time Romney has said anything substantive about the running mate search was last month when he said his advisers were "thoroughly vetting" Rubio. Romney commented after news reports surfaced citing unnamed advisers who said the Florida senator was not being considered.
Romney has said preparedness to be president is his No. 1 requirement for a vice presidential candidate.
Also Thursday, two GOP officials said Romney and the Republican National Committee combined to raise more than $100 million in June -- a striking number for a challenger.
Obama and Romney have raised more than $350 million combined toward the election -- a pace expected to exceed $1 billion by November.
Neither Obama nor the Democratic National Committee has released what they raised in June. However, it's expected they will not report having raised $100 million.