Mitt Romney has been elected to a high political office in two different U.S. states. Currently, the moderate Republican is a member of the United States Senate from Utah. His career has also included overseeing the 2002 Winter Olympics that were hosted by Salt Lake City.
Romney has also twice been a candidate for president of the United States. Coming painfully close to winning the office in one of those cases. More recently, Romney has become one of the most prominent voices in the anti-Trump wing of the Republican party. But he is evidently ready to return to private life.
Will not run in 2024
Mitt Romney is not seeking re-election to the U.S. Senate. The next Senate race in Utah is slated to be held in 2024. Romney first ran for the U.S. Senate in the State of Massachusetts in 1994. He was unsuccessful that time.
Romney's positions on ex-President Donald Trump have put him at odds with some in his party. He voted to convict Trump in each of his impeachment trials. But all the same, polling had indicated that Romney would've easily won the Republican primary for his Senate seat. But his age and the stresses of the job apparently led to his opting out of the race. With his announcement, he stated his hope that a "new generation of leaders" would take America's political reins.
"[They] need to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in," he added.
Romney also seems to have a very genuine dislike for a number of his remaining Republican colleagues, made all the more clear by comments he recently made on the record about some of them. His harshest criticism on an individual level seemed to be aimed at Ohio Senator J.D.
Vance. "I don't know that I can disrespect someone more than J.D. Vance," Romney said. The outgoing Utah senator also had strong negative comments about Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz. Romney said that his colleagues from Missouri and Texas knowingly propped up baseless conspiracy theories.
He also gave a very frank assessment of the current state of the Republican Party.
"A very large portion of my party really doesn't believe in the Constitution," said Romney
There is at least one entrant already in the Republican primary in Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs. There have been no Democrats thus far to have launched a campaign for the seat.
Romney was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2018. Longtime and very prominent Republican incumbent Senator Orrin Hatch was not running for re-election. Romney won the race to succeed him in a landslide over Democratic Salt Lake County Councilwoman Jenny Wilson.
Wilson, now the county's mayor, had glowing words for her former opponent after his announcement. Saying that he is "worthy of our respect and admiration." She added that Romney's "leadership will be sorely missed."
Is a former Republican nominee for U.S. president
Fresh off his success with the Olympics, Mitt Romney was elected governor of Massachusetts in 2002.
Prevailing over Democratic State Treasurer Shannon O'Brien. During his tenure, he created the healthcare reform law that has since been coined as 'Romneycare'. Romney did not run for re-election as governor in 2006 and was succeeded by Democrat Deval Patrick. In 2008, he was a candidate for the Republican nomination for president.
That year, Romney finished as the runner-up in the primary to Arizona U.S. Senator John McCain. Four years later, he won his party's nomination, but fell short of Democratic incumbent President Barack Obama in the general election.
Is a member of a political family
Mitt Romney was born in Detroit, Michigan. His father, George, had headed the American Motors Corporation.
The elder Romney later served as governor of Michigan and as United States secretary of housing and urban development. He also sought the Republican presidential nod in 1968.
Several other Romneys have been involved in politics. They include Vernon, George's first cousin. Vernon B. Romney would become the attorney general of Utah. He had previously served in some of World War II's most famous battles with the U.S. Army. Another is Ronna Romney McDaniel, the high-polarizing current chairwoman of the Republican National Committee.
