Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) will not seek a second term next year, he announced on Wednesday.
Romney, 76, said in an interview that his decision not to run again was heavily influenced by his age and his prediction that his second term in the Senate would be less effective than his first. He also called for a “new generation of leaders” to take the helm.
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“I have spent my last 25 years in public service of one kind or another. At the end of another term, I’d be in my mid-80s,” Romney said. “Frankly, it’s time for a new generation of leaders. They’re the ones that need to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in.”
The 2012 GOP presidential candidate also used his statement to take aim at President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the two front-runners for their respective party’s nominations in next year’s presidential election. Romney said both men are unable or unwilling to address the nation’s leading problems.
“We face critical challenges — mounting national debt, climate change, and the ambitious authoritarians of Russia and China. Neither President Biden nor former President Trump are leading their party to confront them,” Romney’s statement said.
Romney, a prominent foe of the former president, had repeatedly expressed confidence that he would win if he ran again, and polls don’t necessarily dispute his assertion. He has dominated surveys of 2024 Utah voters, both in the primary and general elections. The GOP primary in Utah is not until next June, leaving Republicans more than enough time to find a replacement.
The Utah senator remained coy about his reelection plans over the last few months, sparking speculation about his future. His decision to file a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission in April, allowing him to fundraise for a reelection bid without getting in the race, largely froze the field as possible challengers watched to see what Romney would do.
In 2018, Romney won the Senate GOP primary with a comfortable margin despite failing to secure the state Republican Party’s nomination at the convention. He went on to deliver a 32-point victory in the general election. Polling indicates the margins would be closer in this cycle’s primary, in which Romney already had one GOP challenger and a number of others considering bids.
Among them is Utah state House Speaker Brad Wilson, who launched an exploratory committee in April and has been holding off on an announcement until Romney made a decision. Of those considering a bid, Wilson had polled the most competitively against Romney. He also secured the endorsements of nearly 50 state legislators for his Senate bid last month.
Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, who launched his bid in May and has the backing of conservative commentator Mark Levin, is the only candidate in the race, though surveys have found that a majority of voters remain undecided. He also had the endorsements of nearly 50 state legislators for his Senate bid last month.
There’s also Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, who served as the state’s co-chairman for Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign. Reports of Reyes challenging Romney have been circulating for years, as Trump encouraged Utah allies to take the senator on in 2024. Reyes and his advisers have said since last year that he was facing pressure to get in the race.
Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who chaired the House Oversight Committee before landing at Fox News, has also expressed interest in running. He said he’ll make a final decision about getting in the race in the fall.
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Romney, meanwhile, has enjoyed the full support of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Daines celebrated Romney’s contributions to the Senate in a statement released after the Utah senator announced his decision to retire.
“I join my Republican colleagues in expressing gratitude to Senator Romney for his years of service to our country and the state of Utah,” Daines said. “We are going to nominate a candidate who will keep Utah red in 2024.”
