WASHINGTON » Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney is selling his homes in Massachusetts and in Utah because he has "more space" than he needs, his spokesman said Monday.

Romney, who parlayed his experience from running the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City into winning the Massachusetts governor's office and seeking the White House, has put his ski mansion in Utah on sale for $5.25 million.

The home, a 9,500-square-foot, wood-beamed ski villa in Deer Valley, has played host to then-President George W. Bush and Republican presidential candidate John McCain. Romney's home in Belmont, Mass., is also for sale, but his spokesman said the asking price has yet to be decided.

Romney is keeping his other homes, a lakeside resort home in Wolfeburo, N.H., and a beach house in La Jolla, Calif., which he purchased last year.

"The Romney children are all grown up with families of their own, and Mitt and [his wife] Ann have more space than they need," spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said Monday. "So they are simplifying and downsizing."

Fehrnstrom said the Romneys plan to keep Massachusetts as their primary residence and are searching for something smaller than their current three-story, 13-room Colonial mansion, which sits on 2.44 acres. The couple may go with a condo, Fehrnstrom said.

Tax records indicate the Utah property has appreciated over the years. In 1999, the home and land were valued at nearly $3.8 million.

Taxes on the property were the source of some controversy in Romney's successful 2002 election as Massachusetts governor. Some questioned whether he met the Bay State's seven-year residency requirement because he had been taxed in Utah at a lower rate based on its classification as his "primary residence." But the Summit County assessor defused the issue when she said the mistake was that of her office -- not the Romney family.

Fehrnstrom said the sales have nothing to do with the economic downturn.

Romney, who was at his Deer Valley home earlier this month, told The Salt Lake Tribune on Feb. 6 that he's "doing OK" when asked if he took a hit in the market. The former Massachusetts governor's wealth had been estimated at more than $300 million, with another $100 million set aside in a trust for his children and grandchildren.

"It's simply a matter of having more space than they need," Fehrnstrom said.

Romney's son Josh lives in Salt Lake City, and Fehrnstrom says the former governor will still make Utah part of his life.

"Mitt and Ann have a lot of good friends in Utah," he said. "They'll be back frequently. ... They haven't finalized their plans with respect to Utah."

McCain, whose wife Cindy is a millionaire, faced tough criticism in his presidential campaign after he couldn't answer a reporter's question about how many homes his family owns -- which turned out to be seven properties.

Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, says it's hard to believe that Romney, as wealthy as he is, needed to downgrade.

"If it's not financial, it's not inconceivable the memories of the McCain issue may be on his mind," Zelizer says. He may be downsizing, "so when he runs next time he doesn't have four to five homes for his opponent or President Obama to talk about."

Romney has said he isn't interested in running for president again in 2012, though he is still fundraising for various Republican candidates and remains on the speaking circuit at GOP events.

tburr@sltrib.com