Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney said Wednesday he will not seek reelection to a second term in 2024, citing his age and dissatisfaction with the direction of both political parties.
Mr. Romney’s decision to exit Washington after his first Senate term concludes in January 2025 will cap off a decades-long political career that included being the 2012 GOP presidential nominee.
“I have spent my last 25 years in public service of one kind or another. At the end of another term, I’d be in my mid-eighties,” Mr. Romney, 76, said in a video statement. “Frankly, it’s time for a new generation of leaders. They’re the ones that need to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in.”
Mr. Romney was facing a likely primary challenger from Utah state House Speaker Brad Wilson amid a fraught relationship with fellow Republicans over his disdain for the party’s support of former President Donald Trump.
Mr. Wilson was endorsed last month by more than 60 state GOP lawmakers and had established a fundraising lead over Mr. Romney with a war chest north of $2 million, though roughly half was self-funded.
“Though we did not always see eye to eye, I wish him, Ann and their family the best,” said Mr. Wilson, who has formed a Senate exploratory committee for a potential run. “I’ve been encouraged so far by the record-breaking fundraising, groundswell of grassroots support and unprecedented endorsements we’ve received so far. Stay tuned.”
Mr. Romney won his 2018 race handily by more than 30 points against his Democratic challenger. He served as Massachusetts governor from 2003 to 2007 before running for president in 2008, when the late Arizona Sen. John McCain won the GOP nomination.
Mr. Romney is Mr. Trump’s biggest critic among GOP senators, twice voting to impeach the man who now dominates the 2024 Republican presidential primary field.
With a likely Trump-Biden rematch on the horizon, Mr. Romney said neither man is “leading their party to confront” critical challenges like mounting national debt, climate change, Russia and China.
“On the deficits and debt, both men refuse to address entitlements even though they represent two-thirds of federal spending,” Mr. Romney said. “Donald Trump calls global warming a hoax and President Biden offers feel-good solutions that will make no difference to the global climate. On China, President Biden under-invests in the military and President Trump under-invests in our alliances.”
He continued: “Political motivations too often impede the solutions that these challenges demand. The next generation of leaders must take America to the next stage of global leadership.”
Sen. Kevin Cramer, North Dakota Republican who was first elected to Congress in the same cycle as Mr. Romney, told The Washington Times that Mr. Romney’s retirement does not come as a surprise.
“Mitt is a very pragmatic doer. He’ll fight like hell for things that matter,” Mr. Cramer said. “But I think he’s frustrated by our politics, which has led to dysfunction.”
Chair of Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, Montana Sen. Steve Daines, lauded Mr. Romney for his service and said the party will work to “nominate a candidate who will keep Utah red in 2024.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, praised Mr. Romney for his “remarkably efficient use of his brief tenure.”
Another potential candidate for Mr. Romney’s seat is Evan McMullin, who lost to GOP Sen. Mike Lee in 2022 and ran an unsuccessful third-party presidential campaign in 2016.
He complimented Mr. Romney in a post on X, formerly Twitter, but made no mention of another Senate campaign.
“Senator Romney has proven to be one of the great patriots of our time, devoting his life to the preservation of American democracy and our Constitution — not for personal gain, but for true love of country,” Mr. McMullin said. “I’m disappointed to learn of his retirement and echo his calls for a new generation of American leadership.”
Mr. Romney said, “contrary to a lot of expectations, I enjoy my work in the Senate a good deal.” He said the last few years “have been particularly productive” with helping to craft and pass legislation on infrastructure, China, religious liberty protections, guns, COVID-19 relief and the Electoral College.
“While I’m not running for reelection, I’m not retiring from the fight. I’ll be your United States senator until January 2025,” Mr. Romney said. “I will keep working on these and other issues and I will advance our state’s numerous priorities.”
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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