SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - New campaign finance reports show Sen. Orrin Hatch raised nearly $1 million over a three-month period as he readies for a possible bid for re-election in 2018.
The Deseret News reports that the longtime Republican Senator raised $945,400 from July through September, giving him a balance of $4.7 million in his campaign account.
The 83-year-old Hatch pledged in 2012 that his current term would be his last year but began saying last year that he was considering running again. Hatch has said this year he intends to run for re-election but has not made a final decision. He has been in office since 1977.
Democratic challenger Jenny Wilson raised $155,500 in the reporting period.
Mitt Romney is being encouraged by several powerful members of the GOP to run if Hatch steps aside.
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Information from: Deseret News, https://www.deseretnews.com
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