Rep. John Curtis’s (R-UT) victory in the Republican primary to replace Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) over former President Donald Trump’s endorsed candidate shows a way for the Republican Party to move forward following the current divisiveness. Curtis won the primary easily, with nearly 51% of the vote over Trump-backed candidate Trent Staggs, who had about 30% of the vote.

Romney has a reputation for being critical of Trump, notably voting to impeach him twice. Romney is no stranger to intraparty conflict. His father, George Romney, battled fellow Republicans who opposed using the Department of Housing and Urban Development to force integration on suburban communities. Romney announced he was not running for another term in the Senate in late 2023 and called for the next generation of leaders to step up.