WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 25: Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) attends the confirmation hearing for Vivek Murthy and Rachel Levine before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee February 25, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. Murthy is nominated to be Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service ands U.S. Surgeon General and Levine is nominated to be Assistant Secretary in the Department of Health and Human Services. (Photo by Caroline Brehman-Pool/Getty Images)
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) will not run for reelection. His announcement was made on Wednesday, confirming that he will retire by the end of his first term. Romney said in a video statement he believes it is time for a “new generation of leaders.”
Romney would be in his mid-80s by the time he finished his second term. He said younger people should be the ones to “make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in.”
For months, Romney has debated making the decision to retire and initially was going to wait until October to make the announcement.
Romney has served in the Senate since 2019. Before his Senate career, he lost the 2012 presidential race against Barack Obama. Between 2003 and 2007, Romney served as governor of Massachusetts.
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell praised Romney for his service as “remarkably efficient use of his brief tenure in the Senate.”
Romney would have faced stiff competition from other Republicans if he had run again. Brad Wilson, Utah’s House speaker, and Trent Staggs, mayor of Riverton, have both declared their candidacies.
After Romney’s announcement, Donald Trump said it was “fantastic news” for Utah and the Republican Party that Romney would be retiring. “A big primary fight against him was in the offering, but now that will not be necessary,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Congrats to all, make America great again.”
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