Romney resigns board in possible precursor to White House bid

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney resigned from his spot on Marriott's board, a move seen as a step toward running for president.

The Boston Globe reported that Romney had stepped down from the hotel chain's board of directors, mirroring a move he made four years ago before his run for office.

Romney's seen as likely to jump into the presidential race, but not until later on in the cycle. By contrast, he formed his exploratory committee on Jan. 3, 2007 when he pursued the nomination in 2008.

The former Massachusetts governor is currently on a trip abroad — to Afghanistan, Jordan and Israel — to bone up on his foreign policy credentials.