Republican Senator Mitt Romney Wednesday confirmed that he will not seek a second term in the U.S. Senate due to a commitment to “lawmaking, not politicking.”
“My 12 years representing the people of Utah in Congress end at the close of this term. I am deeply grateful for the privilege of serving in the Senate,” Romney said in a statement. “After this year, I will not be a candidate for re-election to the Senate. My campaign team and I concluded that the right thing for me to do is to ask that you stand with someone else.”
Romney, the former Republican presidential candidate, has been a polarizing figure in national politics. His decisive support for former President Donald Trump’s impeachment and his repeated counterpunching of the party line have cost him allies in the GOP caucus.
The 73-year-old Utah senator thanked his supporters in the statement. He wrote that he was inspired by their “extraordinary commitment and devotion,” especially during the 2020 election.
“What an incredible honor it is to represent the people of Utah in the United States Senate,” Romney’s statement concluded. “God bless the United States of America.”
Romney’s decision not to run for re-election leaves an opening for potential Republican challengers, including Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson and former State Sen. Dan McCay. It is unclear whether Democratic contenders will enter the race.
But in the absence of a Romney candidacy, the race for the Republican Senate seat is wide open. It will likely be a crowded field, and whoever emerges as the nominee in the GOP primary will face the challenge of having to prove their ideological loyalty to the party in an increasingly right-wing state.
Either way, Romney will not be a candidate. His decision is a departure from longstanding political norms, as incumbent senators usually seek re-election. However, Romney has made it clear that his priority lies in public service and the legislative process, not in playing the political game.