Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) has yet to declare whether he will seek re-election. Romney seems uncertain about whether he will run in 2024; a year ago, he mentioned that he had not given much thought to the possibility and that he would address it when the time came.
Well, I think the time has come.
Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson has announced the formation of an exploratory committee to assess the viability of a potential U.S. Senate campaign for Mitt Romney’s seat.
“I’ve really loved the opportunity that we’ve had to keep government small and out of people’s lives, it’s part of why Utah is so special,” Wilson said. “I really believe that what Washington needs is to be a lot more like Utah. We’ve got this amazing opportunity to send Utah values back to D.C., and to have a conservative fighter back there, doing things back there the way we do them here in the Beehive State.”
Related: 2024 Looks a Whole Lot Worse for the Democrats Now
The big question, of course, is whether or not Romney is going to run. Romney’s hesitation may be because he knows he’s alienated the very voters who elected him. According to Heritage Action, he has an unimpressive 58% conservative rating. His support for the impeachment of former President Trump on two occasions and his endorsement of Ketanji Brown Jackson’s appointment to the Supreme Court (despite her soft spot for child pornographers and lack of transparency during her confirmation hearings) have only added to their disenchantment with him.
Of course, publicly, Romney has expressed confidence that he’d be reelected. “I’ve faced long odds: Getting the nomination in 2012 was a long shot, becoming a Republican governor in one of the most liberal states in America, Massachusetts,” Romney said in December. “I’m convinced that if I run, I win. But that’s a decision I’ll make.”
Speaking personally, there is very little Romney could do to regain my trust and support, and I’m looking forward to supporting a more conservative alternative. It brings me no joy to say this because I once voted for him with great enthusiasm for governor of Massachusetts in 2002. In 2012, I was willing to do anything to see him defeat Barack Obama. Now, I am eager to contribute to any Republican candidate who shares my values and principles over Romney. Other potential primary challengers include state Attorney General Sean Reyes and former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, either of whom would likely defeat Romney in a primary if he runs. I hope to see the strongest and most conservative challenger emerge to represent the Republican Party in Utah.
“[Mitt Romney]’s actually more popular with Democrats and independents than he is with Republicans right now. So getting past the Republican primary would be a tough one,” Richard Davis, a professor emeritus of political science at Brigham Young University, said last year.
Bottom line: Romney’s values and priorities are not aligned with those of the conservative movement. Whether he retires or loses in a primary, I don’t care; I’ll be glad to see him go.
